Aftermath
by Knows-it-all
Summary: Betrayal...A fallen marriage. Will Klaus and Caroline save their marriage or call it quit?
1. Chapter 1

_**Aftermath**_

 **One**

"Make sure you take everything else with you. I don't need any reminder of you," Caroline barked at her husband, watching him as he went back and forth in their room—her room, gathering his stuff. He had been her husband for five years. Five long years she had been in love with him, but now she hated his guts. His lying cheating guts. A dull pain smacked right into her heart, making her feel dizzy and her eyes watered. But she wasn't going to let him see her tears. Her tears wasn't worth to be shed for him, and definitely not for anyone.

How did she go wrong? She had asked herself that question hundred times. Did he not love her anymore? Did she fail somewhere in their marriage? Wasn't he contented with her? Even as she asked the questions, she knew she wasn't, or else he wouldn't have cheated on her. Five years of marriage went down the drain. Didn't he even considered that they had a kid and one was yet to be born? If he didn't feel anything, why did he proposed to her? Why did he vow to love and cherish her when he would go back on his word? She hated the sight of him.

"Do not worry, I wouldn't make the mistake of leaving anything behind," he replied, angrily. He didn't have the right to be angry, she had that right. She watched him grab the last item before glancing at her. Their eyes met and both held immense pain. Once upon a time, they were madly in love with each other, and they still were, but they couldn't go on like this. Not after everything was broken between them.

He went for the door, but paused on his way out. "You're making a mistake, Caroline. I thought you knew me well, but I guess I was fooling myself." He went out of the room, slamming the door behind him. And that was when she broke down. She crouched down in a corner, wrapped her arms around herself and sobbed. She sobbed for a marriage that had failed. She sobbed for the vows that they had said. Promises to love each other. She sobbed for a life they had built for five years. Children they had brought into this world. And most of all, she sobbed because she loved him so much, and she hated herself for that. It was true what they said: the people you don't think would betray you end up doing exactly that. Klaus Mikaelson did that and she didn't think she could ever come back from that. Her heart ache so much that she would welcome anything to stop the pain. She clutched her heart, praying, begging for it to be over.

The door slammed open. When she saw him, she instantly got up and stiffened considerably. He opened his mouth and failed to speak. They stared at each other, and she wondered why he was back.

"I don't want you in my house."

"This is my house as much as it is yours. You said that the day we got married." His words made her eyes blurry, made her heart twist with hurt.

"That was a mistake. Marrying you was the biggest mistake I could ever do," she said, trying hard not to faint from weakness.

"So I am a mistake?" He asked, his brows wrinkling with mock. "Is our kid a mistake too?" His voice was laced with anger and sorrow, mirroring her pain. "Or the child in your womb? Tell me, Caroline, loving me...is that a mistake too?"

"No," she shook her head in tears. "You don't get to make me the bad guy. You-" she pointed her trembling finger at him. "You are the bad guy, Klaus." Her voice shook with an intense emotion, trembling with a rage she never knew she had. "You made a full mockery of our marriage. Five years! For five years I had done nothing but loved you. I meant everything word, Niklaus. You cheated on me with Camille. Do you honestly think I would forgive you for that?" She hated him for loving him so much. She despised the fact that she couldn't erase her feelings for him. It was still there.

"I'm sorry," Klaus whispered. It was a whisper that spoke of an apology, a man seeking forgiveness for something he had done, a man dying to save a condemned marriage.

"Saying sorry isn't going to change anything. You used me. You used our child."

"I never.." he inhaled sharply, striding forward. "Caroline, I had never dreamt of hurting you. Ever." He swallowed, his eyes rimmed with reddening tears. "I told you, I didn't know how I could have cheated on you." It was painful for him to say, for both of them because they knew what they were feeling. "I didn't know how I woke up on Camille's bed. The last thing I remembered was being at the office and.."

"You're seriously insane if you think I'd believe you," she spat, words biting at his heart. "Making an excuse like that. Wow, Niklaus, you couldn't be more of a bastard, could you?" She knew his weaknesses. She couldn't count the time he had came home, crying because Mikael was always reminding him how he was a bastard, and why he didn't belong in their family. It was all that his father saw in him, and he didn't look beyond past his hatred for Klaus to see that he loved him, because he saw him as his father. Caroline knew his weakness, and she used that against him.

Klaus ignored her anger, her hurt and her coldness, but he couldn't help the sinking of his heart at the hurt that she didn't believe him. Not one bit. "You're supposed to know me," he muttered, disappointed. "You're supposed to know my heart!" His eyes darkened slowly and he attempted to put his emotions at bay. "I knew from the start that this relationship had no trust in it." And the love he felt for her was clouded by the hate had for her at the moment.

Five days. It had been five days since Caroline had seen him, since she had watched him walk away from her. Each passing day was torturous. She didn't know where he was staying and he couldn't have been staying with his family or else she would have been visited by them. That could only mean he hadn't told anyone about it, but how could he? He had cheated on her, so of course he wouldn't tell anyone about it. Her emotions were strained not to care, to ignore the yearn of seeing his face just once and to ask him if he loved her. Did he still love her? It was as if her heart was betraying her, loving a man who had cheated on her.

Despite everything, Caroline loved him. Not a single thing had changed. She didn't understand how things could change so quickly, how they could be happily married just barely a week ago to not standing the sight of one another. Besides the hate, she was hurting. The hurt of knowing that the man she loved didn't respect her love, didn't respect everything she had done to him from the start to the end. She felt like a fool, remembering the sweet words they had exchanged, the nights of passion they had shared, the small talks under the stars, the moments of staring into each other's eyes with nothing but mad love in them, and the times they had read their son the stories of their lives; how could he simply throw everything all away? Was everything a fake? Had he been in love with Camille for a while? Why wasn't her heart getting it?

Every waking morning, she would wake up with a hole in her heart and with so much pain that it was impossible to breath. She was longing for her husband, the man she had been married to for five years, the man whom had helped create their child, the man who's baby she was carrying in her womb, and the same man who had promised to be there in every step of the way. Their love; it was a love that had her wishing she could remove her heart so that she could feel nothing, so that she could be able to take breath without fearing that she might die from the pain, and a love that was constantly turning to hate and then to love. Five days of missing a man she didn't want to miss, loving a man that didn't deserve to be loved, hating a man that she loved dearly, having answered to their child why his father wasn't living with them anymore, a child in her womb who was clearly missing it's father too.

"Mummy." Their four year old son walked inside the room, his stuff animal clutched in his hand. When she gazed at him, she saw him in their son. He was every bit of Klaus and every bit of her. Blonde hair, blue eyes and when he smiled, you could see the same dimple his father had. It was painful, a constant reminder of someone that wasn't in her life.

Caroline patted her bed, an invitation and he didn't waste anytime jumping on the bed and snuggling to his mother, feeling the warmth slide against her skin. The bed didn't feel cold anymore like it had been for the past five days. She would always get in their bed and slip under the sheets, and she had only the cold room for comfort. When it was night, she remembered always snuggling up to her husband, because she knew he would take away the coldness. He would wrap his arms around her and every worries and stress went away, and everything didn't matter anymore except being in the arms of someone she felt safe in. With him gone, she was left to hold herself, to comfort herself when she cried to sleep, his words hunting her dreams, his teasing kisses that always left her wanting more and holding her as if the world would stand still for them.

"Hey, baby," she whispered to her son, leaning down to kiss his forehead. She held her him tightly, deluding herself into thinking that she would at least feel better because she was holding a part of Klaus.

Her son lifted his blurry eyes at her, his lips trembling as he hold back in a sob. "Where's daddy? I want daddy back, mummy, please," he begged, as a tear escaped his eye. He never cried unless he couldn't take it anymore. He was as strong as his father, and right now he was weak; he was a child deprived of his father and there was nothing she could do about it. "Doesn't daddy love me anymore?"

She choked back a sob, feeling a pang of hurt in her heart. "Daddy loves you, Noah," she promised him. "He doesn't love mummy anymore." Hot tears rolled down at her at the truth. He used to love her. When they met, he loved her. When he proposed, he loved her. On their wedding day, he loved her. When she stood in the altar in her white dress, he had looked at her as anyone in love would. When he had said 'I do', he was completely in love with her, and when she gave birth to Noah, he couldn't have loved her more.

"It's okay, I love you, mummy." She couldn't hold the sob then, she held her son tightly and cried in his arms. The two of them cried together with no one to witness this broken family, but the moon that had failed to shine and the stars that was sparkling just a little.

XXXX

When people talk about pain, they talk about it from different experiences. Some people's pain last a minimum of two weeks, some doesn't actually leave but rather leave a scar behind, a reminder of the thing that had gone wrong in their lives. Klaus could relate to every pain out there, because he was living in an amount of it that was so indescribable. It was really surprising that he could still stand, could be able to look himself in the mirror without fainting from his reflection, a reflection of a man who had failed his family. But the worst part of everything was when his wife couldn't believe in him, and how could anyone believe in him then? Caroline didn't trust him and that was a major blow to him. He had wanted her to understand, reason with her and then try to find out why he had been targeted.

He had never once in his life ever looked at Camille the same way he would look at his wife. She was nothing but a co worker and his wife couldn't understand that, because she was too blinded by jealousy. He didn't remember anything that had happened that night, but he could only remember the betrayal that had reflected in his wife's eyes. She should have believed him, but she didn't. She had accused him for having an affair and he couldn't think he could ever forgive her. Trust was what should have been powerful in their relationship and without it, there wasn't anything to return to.

He hadn't thought for one minute that things would end between him and Caroline. They had been in love with each other and in the back of his mind that he dared not go to, his father knew they wouldn't last, it couldn't last because Klaus didn't deserve to be happy. He should have accepted that fact, he should have believed Mikael when he told him a bastard like him was never going to be happy; that even if he were, it wasn't going to last long because he didn't deserve it. He lost everything; his wife and son, a son that was probably wondering why he hadn't seen his father for five days, why his father wasn't tucking him into bed like every other night. He was probably wondering why he never saw his parents with each other. Noah was suffering, Caroline was suffering and he was suffering as well. He could no longer look his wife in the eyes, to face the hatred and pain and the hurt he had caused all of them. And also, he could no longer look her in the eye because she had let him down by not trusting him. He hadn't seen her and he didn't want to see her. For the past five days, he had been cooped up in his old apartment, lonely and hurting. Nights after nights, he couldn't sleep because every time he did, Caroline's face would hunt him. He was unable to sleep, to face the empty side next to him that was supposed to be occupied by his pregnant wife.

Klaus had not said anything to anyone, but he knew they couldn't keep it a secret. Everyone would know they weren't living together and he could be right, because he had noticed the stares from people when they saw him leaving his apartment, rather than the house where his family were. He was dealing with not seeing his son, not seeing the glowing face of his wife and her husband huge belly that held either his son or daughter. He was taking it because he thought he deserved it, he deserved for the pain he had caused them and it was right he had to suffer. He just hadn't expect it to be this bad, hadn't expect it to turn out the way it did, and he didn't expect a pang in his heart every time he remembered the way she smiled at him. Her eyes would light up and sparkle with love, and he didn't expect to feel the pain of waking up each morning to no one around, no breakfast from his wife or the hugs he constantly get from his son. Getting out of the bed was hard, willing himself to welcome another day when he would rather escape to oblivion from the absence of his family. It was beginning to get unbearable, the agony of knowing that he brought it upon himself. Giving up his children wasn't something he was just going to live with, but giving up Caroline, he had already did. He didn't want her anymore that's what he kept telling himself. Any thought of reconciliation in between them, he had thrown it out of the window. He knew she wouldn't want to get back with him anyway. At this point, he was going to try moving on, he was going to stop hoping that Caroline would come back to him. He loved his wife, but he was giving up on her. They would be nothing but arguments and he didn't want to cost him his children. He was going to end it with her because it was the right thing to do, they had no trust between them before their fighting went out of control.

So that's why he left his apartment at one in the morning and grabbed his keys and headed out. He parked his car in front of the house and willed himself to get out and face the storm that was going to brew. Mustering up the courage, he left the car and walked toward the place he had been so familiar with, the house he had once called home but couldn't call it now. He knocked on the door quickly. Their fairytale was over and their happiness was short lived. He wanted to get this over as soon as possible. Klaus still loved Caroline, he really did. Just the thought that they wouldn't be able to be family again rose the tears in his eyes, as he realised that he would never experienced old age with her. The woman- this woman he had been with for five years answered the door with bed head and dried red eyes.

When she laid eyes on him, eyes on the man who was the author of her pain, the man who was known as her husband and the father of her children was standing before her with no emotions in his eyes. He had the nerve to come back here, she thought in disdain. They stared for so long but it had only been for a few seconds.

"Caroline," he muttered the name that had left his lips so many times, be it with pleasure, caring or love. Neither was present at the moment. He watched her inhale suddenly, her heavy heart beginning to weigh on her. "I have something to discuss with you."

She didn't fight him, she let him into the house and as he went inside, his head felt like exploding. It was in this house they had loved, they had kids, they cried and shared their sorrow and it was in this house they had called it quits. Caroline waited for him to begin and he wasted no time telling her what was best for both of them.

"I'm filing for a divorce."

She wasn't surprised. She knew he only came here to give her bad news, but doesn't mean it didn't hurt much less. This was really it. They were going to end it after all. It hurt that she knew all along they were going to get divorced. "I figured." Her head fell at his admission, shaky hot breaths releasing from her chest. "It's for the best." She felt her stomach constrict at that, as emotions went over her. "For us and our children." Caroline lifted her eyes and stared at the blue emotionless one. "And because...I don't trust you anymore."

There..there was the confirmation that he had been waiting for and that he had also dreaded. It felt as if his heart was being carved out with a knife. Klaus welcomed this pain he was familiar with and he stood his guard, not wanting her to see how much it was affecting him. If she wasn't showing how much affect it had on her to say that, then why should he? The decision was clear but the choice wasn't.

"Thank you for giving me two wonderful children, I'd never forget that. And thank you for those five years we had spent together." She was emotionally spent in front of this man, the man who had hurt her beyond repair. And all that she could do was thank him for the good times. "I'm not a monster, so I'd bring you Noah whenever you wish to see him. We'd both have custody of our children, Klaus." He wasn't saying anything and she as glad he didn't. "Since you made this bed, you're going to tell everyone what happened. I can't be seen as the bad person here who kicked her husband out. I never thought it would come to this but I do not regret the five years because it gave me Noah and this little one." Caroline's eyes felt from exhaustion as everything began to wear on her and exhaustion hit. Her emotions were raising to the surface of her heart.

Then she was stepping in his personal space, reaching a shaking hand to his face. Caroline stood on her toes, meeting her lips with his as she rubbed his cheek with her thumb, then quickly pulling away with a sob. They both knew what that kiss meant. It was a good bye. She was letting him go to love tomorrow without him. Yesterday was theirs and tomorrow was hers alone. But she had needed to feel his lips, to feel the spark she knew was still there, but the heart wasn't and to kiss the man she had called her husband for five years. _A good bye they both needed and would remember._

Klaus wanted to hold her, to tell her to give them another chance but it was too late. The damage had already been done. There was no going back to something that wasn't going to be there. She may still love him but she didn't love him enough to forget. The love between them only made her remember more, not forget. Before him was his family, his wife and his children- a future that no longer exist.

He was hurt.

He was in pain.

He loved her.

Klaus was accepting their split- of her letting him go, throwing away everything. He failed to respond and then he was turning to leave the house, his wife and children behind. Maybe time would heal them, but their hearts would never heal.

* * *

 **Sorry for the mistakes. Should I end it here? Or write one more chapter or more chapters? Tell me!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey! I loved each and every reviews of you guys. I'm definitely going to turn this into a fic. Thanks a bunch!**_

* * *

 _ **Aftermath**_

 **Two**

She called him.

He answered.

They talked and they hung up.

Klaus was just outside his office building, as he put his phone back in his pocket. He matched right into the office, the elevator took him up to the fifth floor. It was the same floor that Camille's office was and he had a lot to talk to her about. He had bottled up his anger for a whole week and it was the right time to unleash it on the woman who had ruined his marriage. Klaus ignored the greeting he received from his friends and matched right up to her office. Without knocking, he barged inside but she wasn't there. He looked everywhere for Camille but he couldn't find her. He found himself in Marcel's office, slamming the door shut that startled the man.

"Klaus," he greeted, but Klaus didn't need anything from the man, he wanted answers.

"Where is Camille?" He demanded, standing in front of desk. Marcel sighed and closed the file he was going through. He leaned back on the chair and observed the man. "Marcel, where is she? She's not here."

"Well, if you didn't see her here, then she's not and I honestly can't help you. I don't know Camille is. She hasn't been at the office for five days," Marcel answered. Klaus clenched his fists, anger rolling off of him. They both knew he was lying, and if Camille went MIA, Marcel had to know where she had gone. Did he think he came in here and then leave without some answers? Klaus went across the desk and pulled Marcel out of the chair by the collar and slammed him on the wall.

"Where is Camille?!" He shouted, his shoulders vibrating with anger. Marcel struggled to get out from his grip but Klaus' hold was so strange that he wasn't able to move-much less escape from him. "Tell me now, Marcel! What did you two did to me?! Answer me!" He had gone insane and maybe he had, but this was about a future that was ruined for him. He had already gone insane when he lost his family. Marcel saw the rage in his eyes and the determination that if he said anything wrong-misled Klaus, he would kill him right at the spot and he feared for his life right now.

"I- I didn't do anything, Klaus," he choked out. "I don't know where Camille is, I swear! Five days ago, I called her, but she didn't pick up. I went to her house, but she wasn't there. I thought she left, but all her clothes and other stuff were there. I got worried, because I thought something had happened to her. I thought of going to the police when I got her message yesterday. She told me she was fine and that was just it. I swear, Klaus. Please let me go," Marcel pleaded.

"Are you sure?!"

"Yes, yes!" Marcel exclaimed. "You can check my phone if you want to."

Klaus released the tight hold on Marcel, but he didn't let him go just yet. "Where were you on the night of the annual ball?" He asked, because he needed to know and he needed to be sure that he wasn't in cahoots with Camille.

Marcel coughed, the hand on his neck was beginning to hurt him. It was so humiliating to be pinned against a wall. If anyone saw this, he would lose his respect in everyone's eyes. Besides, he didn't know why Klaus was so interesting in knowing Camille's whereabouts. The woman had probably did something so big to upset him like that.

"I wasn't there because Davina was sick. I had to take care of her," he answered truthfully.

Klaus didn't believe him one bit. "Can anyone vouch for that?"

"Josh. Josh also was there. Ask him, he would tell you I was with her all night." Satisfied with his answer, he released him and stepped back. He wanted to run his hand through a wall. He didn't get it. Where could Camille be? The woman couldn't just suddenly disappear. "What did she do?"

He looked up at Marcel with a heartbroken face that almost made the man doubled over from the immense pain he saw there. "She ruined my life," Klaus declared, before he turned around and left the building. Where was he going to find Camille? He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. How could he even begin to find out what happened if the person responsible for it was gone? He needed to know. He needed to know what he had done to Camille to deserve this from her? They were friends, at least he thought they were.

He rang on the doorbell thrice. He was getting impatient here and when he was about to give up and leave her porch, he heard her footsteps and then she opened the door.

"Daddy!"

Klaus beamed and bent on his knees to pick his son up, wrapping his arms around his neck. It felt good to be with Noah. It felt good to hug him. "Hey, I missed you," he muttered against his son's shoulder and could barely suppress the happiness he was feeling.

"I missed you too, daddy." Klaus' caressed Noah's cheek, relishing in the feel of finally being with him, of the love that was radiating from both of their bodies. "Where were you? You left me and mommy." Klaus sighed, his eyes averting from his son's and he was forced to acknowledge the elephant in the room. He could feel her eyes on him.

"Noah, why don't you go up and draw daddy a picture?" Caroline said to the little boy, ruffling his hair. Noah ascended the stairs quickly, excitement radiating off of him.

"Thanks for coming," she said. "He wanted to see you and I didn't want to keep him from you." He nodded in understanding, and an awkward silence fell into the room.

Klaus decided to make small talks. The silence in the room was killing him. "How are you?"

"Klaus, we don't have to do this." They didn't have to pretend that he cared about her well being. They didn't have to play like everything was okay between them, like he was a concerned husband when he was anything but. She knew how he felt about her.

"I'm just making small talks, Caroline. Work with me here. How are you?"

"Like my heart is being carved out of my chest." Her words made his breath hitched for a second. "You did this to me, then why should I be the one feeling like complete crap over it?" He knew she was getting upset by the way she was clenching her fists and gritting her teeth. That was always how she was. "Next time, don't ask me how I am because you've no idea."

Klaus knew the he had made the mistake of asking, because it had not only upset her, but it upset him too.

"You've no idea that I barely slept for three days because you're not here. It gets lonely when Noah's gone to school. It's always so quiet and it's the worst thing ever, because I thought of you and what you've done-" More pain. There was so much pain. "and what we had both lost. Everything is gone and done with."

Klaus remained quiet, feeling all emotions rise to his throat. His fault. He couldn't erase what he had done, but he wanted to find out the truth. He wouldn't tell her, because she wouldn't care about the truth. She was drowning in a lot of pain and rejection that nothing else would matter.

His hands fell against his body in defeat. "I don't know what to say, Caroline." His rejection made her rinsed her eyes shut before opening them.

"I didn't think you had anything to say to me anyway."

Klaus lifted a brow. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She ignored him and matched toward the kitchen to make something for Noah. He followed her to the kitchen, demanding to know what she had meant with that comment exactly. "Caroline, what the hell do you mean by that?"

"Leave it alone, Klaus."

"Do you think you're the only one that gets to be upset?" he snarled, fed up with her words that kept destroying his mind. "Do I need to open up my heart for you to see that it's bleeding? Yearning for you? You're acting like a cold hearted woman to me. You barely acknowledge me and when you do, you mess up my head."

She spun around, angrily. "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to smile at you? Please you? Do you want me to welcome you with open arms into my home? The only reason why you're here is sorely because of Noah. I'm tolerating your presence because of my son."

"Oh, aren't you a wonderful, fantastic woman, allowing your cheating husband to see his son. Perhaps you need a reward for that? After all, you've done me such a good deed." This kind of venom was different, it was bitter and sour, and definitely laced with hurt. His face said it all. Caroline was absolutely furious. She realised that if she continued arguing with him, there would both say some things that shouldn't be said. So, she decided to give him the silent treatment and it worked just fine for both of them, until he had to talk again.

"Noah is going to stay with me for two days."

Caroline dropped the knife she was cutting the bread with, almost cutting herself in the process. She lifted her eyes to meet his. "No."

Klaus' eyes narrowed at her protectiveness and her eyes that clearly thought Noah staying with him was such an ill advised suggestion. "No?" he repeated, thinking he had heard her wrong.

"I..I..can't let my son stay with you."

His hand met the counter in a hard slam that made her jump. "He's my son too!"

"That isn't going to change the fact that I don't want him to see something he shouldn't be seeing," she dead panned, no longer surprised by his outbursts.

Rage burned in his blue eyes as he felt the sting of a slap. "Are you initiating that I'm bringing women over to my place, Caroline?" Her silence gave him the answer. He wanted to scream at her, to shield himself from her accusations hurled at him. Klaus couldn't even think why this woman standing before him was different from the woman he had married. Such vile things from her...he didn't think he could take it.

Caroline knew she shouldn't have said that, but she did. What would she think he was doing all by himself? What would any free man does when he's finally free from his wife? To be with other women. Even when she said those words, it had felt wrong on her lips. He was getting what he deserved, what he asked for. When did he stop loving her? When did he start cheating on her? When did she became a laughing stock to him? Those questions were eating her, those questions hadn't been answered, but their future had already been decided. It was a powerful questions that sent her in the opposite direction, far away from him.

He turned to leave the kitchen and he had already taken several steps towards the door when he paused in his steps hearing his son's pained voice. "Daddy? Where are you going?"

Klaus tried to crack a smile, to not show a heartbroken father, because dads were supposed to stay strong in front of their children. He reached Noah's shoulders and crouched down to his level. "I have to go, little man. I will come back soon, I promise."

Noah's eyes filled with tears and the intake of breath made Klaus' face fell. "No! No, no!" Tears brimmed his eyes. "I don't want you to go, daddy! Don't gooooo!" Noah whined, falling to the floor as he began to wail. Caroline rushed to see what was happening. She knew Noah's tantrum was never ending, unless he got what he wanted.

Caroline tried to hold him, but Noah was screaming his head off and wriggling out of her arms as he ran to his father, latching onto his leg. "Daddy, don't go! Pwease!" Klaus picked up his son, soothing his cries with a pat on his back. "Nooooo!"

Klaus shared a look with Caroline, both dreaded what this meant for them. Klaus wasn't going anywhere tonight, not if they wanted Noah to alarm their neighbours. They both felt annoyed at the sudden change of plans.

XXXX

Family gatherings were one of the best thing she always looked forward to, but that was before everything fell apart. Now, she dreaded it. Caroline had came here with her family and no one had suspected what was going on between them. Though they both distanced themselves through out the night, someone was bound to notice. They weren't in each other's arms, they weren't laughing and goofing around together. It was a night filled with tension. Klaus had ran off to talk with his brothers and she was sitting on a chair, feeding Noah some food. When she was done, the boy had ran off to talk to his cousins, and Caroline found herself alone once again.

"I need to talk to you."

She turned to the owner of the voice that had spoken to her. Rebekah Salvatore motioned for her to follow and Caroline with a sinking heart followed behind her sister-in-law, wondering why on earth she wanted to talk to her about in private. When Caroline found her best friends waiting for them inside the room, she felt her world came crashing down. This would only mean that they needed to talk to her about something so serious. Who was dying? That was the only thing she would guess.

"Caroline, sit down," Elena Mikaelson, wife of Elijah pointed to a chair that was situated in front of them. Caroline sat down and watched Rebekah sit next to them.

"What is going on, guys?"

"I didn't want to believe it, neither did Bonnie and Rebekah, but we have noticed something. What is going on with you and Klaus?"

 _What is going on with you and Klaus?_

So they brought her here to be interrogated? They wanted to know what happened between her and Klaus? She knew why they asked, never having seen them in such a mess. She looked between them and casted her eyes down, feeling the tears that were threatening to fall. Managing to lift her eyes to their curious ones, she blurt out the truth.

"Klaus c-cheated on me." Caroline tripped over the vile word, her heart sinking at the hurt she was experiencing. A few collective gasps left her friends lips. It brought silence to the room, leaving quizzical looks. Rebekah leaned forward, not knowing if she had heard correct. Her eyes roamed in Caroline's direction, trying to detect any lies or humour behind it.

"W-what are you talking about, Care? How is that even..." Bonnie Mikaelson, wife of Kol words faded when she saw the truth in her best friend's eyes.

"That's not possible. Nik would never...he loves you so much, enough not to cheat on you." Rebekah's anger was clear, making Caroline want to believe her and say she knew he loved her very much, that she was finding it hard to believe as well, but it happened. Klaus cheated on her.

"When did he cheat on you?" Elena spoke up, eyeing Caroline and only her. "Are you sure he wasn't just joking? I find that hard to believe Klaus would do something like that."

"Exactly!"

"I think my eye sight is clear when I saw him in bed with Camille!" Caroline shook her head, turning her body to face Rebekah, who was rightfully confused and angry at this point. "Your brother cheated on me and it's a true fact. He's not as perfect as you think he is, Rebekah. I would never lie about that..." She paused, as she laughed humourlessly.

"Caroline..."

Caroline stopped Bonnie, her hand raised as she stared at the distance. "Everything is so messed up. He has decided to divorce me and I agreed to it. We can't go back to the way it was." Her words fell silence, and Rebekah could see her eyes filed with hurt and loss, anger and sorrow. She looked into her eyes and she saw the truth. For a minute there was silence, thoughts boggling everyone's mind, until Elena spoke up again.

"You can't do that. You and Klaus are each other's love. One can't survive without the other one. People are envious of your love, Caroline. I never thought I'd live to see this day. You two can't just end your marriage like that. You brought your kid into this world and one is on it's way, do you want to throw away everything?"

"I can't just.." Caroline took a deep breath before continuing, "I can't imagine my life without him. I love him so much, Elena, but I can't live with him anymore. I want to..all I want is for this nightmare to end. I want to wake up from this and return back to my life with my husband and our son. I want to wake up to him beside me. I want forever with him. I want to die beside Klaus. He's everything to me, Elena. But I can't go back to the way things were. I'm in so much pain that it's so hard to breath. It's so hard to forget the man I thought was my husband, the love of my life. I can't simply forget this betrayal." Caroline had to cover her mouth to hold in the sobs. God, she loved him. She hated him.

"No." Rebekah shook her head, as tears fell down her eyes as well. "Nik wouldn't do that." Even as she said those words, she knew everything Caroline had said was true about her brother.

"Of course, you wouldn't think he did that. He's your brother, and he can't do anything wrong in your eyes. You just made me realised that blood is thicker than water."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Caroline? You're my family!"

"Yes, family by marriage," Caroline said, coolly, her heart pounding, tears brimming her face betraying her tone. "I know what I would lose when this marriage ends. My parents are dead, you guys are the only family I have left and we won't be family after this."

"Whatever happens, you'd always be family to us- to me," Rebekah assured, the girls backing her by nodding their heads. "I'm going to support you in all your decisions, I promise. And Nik...no one is going to save him from my wrath."

"You mean our wraths?" Bonnie corrected, smiling encouragingly at Caroline. "You're not alone in this, Care."

Elena added, "If one of us is suffering, we're all suffering. If one of us is in pain, we're all in pain. Don't think for one second we're going to leave you like this."

Happy tears rolled down her eyes. She was alone in this. She had three incredible sisters in law that were ready to do anything for her. It brought her a tiny twinge of happiness, however, she wasn't completely happy. But it was still good to know she still had people on her side, people who would go for the truth.

It was that little text, that text changed everything in the next thirty minutes. Her chest felt tight, as if it was being squeezed. She almost collapsed to the floor as she felt the pain as strong as anything in her life. Mentally screaming in anguish, she clutched her arms, her eyes watery with sheer pain and her breathing came out in sharp, shallow rasps.

She found her shaking legs moving, dodging the few people that were trying to get her attention, but all she could see was the man standing a distance away. Her legs carried her to him and spun him around, and he didn't have time to notice who it was before she slapped him on the face, the sound echoing all over the place.

She had slapped him.

She had slapped him in front of their family.

Their son.

Caroline had slapped Klaus.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Aftermath_**

 ** _Three_**

"Why?" he shouted, as he followed her inside the house. Caroline removed her left shoe and hurled it at his head. Klaus had pulled her away from everyone, and had put her inside the car, quickly apologising to everyone. He had left with her, leaving Noah to stay the night with Rebekah and Stefan.

"Stop following me!" she screamed back, tears running down her eyes. She should have gotten used to the pain, used to the never ending tears. This pain had gone into a whole new level.

He moved away before it could hit him on the face. "Caroline, stop acting like a damn child and tell me what the problem is now! You slapped me in front of our family, congratulations for that! At least tell me why you put your hand on my face!"

"Shut up! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

"Great! I already knew that!" She was moving too fast for a pregnant lady. "Caroline!" He grabbed her arm to stop her from running her stomach through a sharp object. He lifted his hand, but he couldn't actually do it. He was so angry. She was so careless that she could have run through the object, and their baby would have been hurt. Worse, he could have died. Because she was angry at him. She was going to kill a life.

"Are you insane!" he screamed at her face, shaking her angrily. "Do you know what you would have done?!" Damn it. Why couldn't she understand how scared he had been when he saw her nearly run into that object? How could she have left it there when she knew they had a small child in the house? His heart was beating fast from fear for both his wife, and his unborn child she nearly cost him.

Caroline wrapped her arms protectively and sobbed. "It would have been your fault! You put me through this and maybe it should have happened!" Klaus shook his head, disbelief at her words. She didn't know what she was saying, he told himself. She didn't know. "I don't want you! I don't want Noah! I don't want this child!" No, she definitely didn't know what she was saying. The woman was out of her mind with anger.

"Caroline," he said, his voice coming out in a harsh whisper. "I can tolerate anything, but if you dare say anything about my children again, I'll be forced to forget that I love you."

"You love me?" His words didn't impress her, actually it did the opposite. Disbelief and anger was all that she was left with. She roughly placed her phone in his palm. "Is this what love looks like in your world, Klaus?" Klaus looked down at what was on her screen. It was a video. Huh? The video showed Camille going into her office, and then twenty minutes later, Klaus went in as well. It wasn't a mistake. It happened earlier, because he remembered the exact clothes he had worn and him going into Camille's office, but she hadn't been there. But it looked like she had. How was that possible? Klaus played the video four more times, and when he was about to play again, the phone was snatched from him.

"Oh, don't embarrass yourself, Niklaus." she glared at him.

"I didn't– I didn't know she was in there! I swear when I walked into her office, there was no one there!" His voice trembled with anger, hurt and confusion.

Caroline raised her eyebrow with mock. "Oh, so you did admit you went to her. Great. This is the first time you have admitted to your offense. We're making progress here. Maybe next time, you'd admit to cheating on me."

"I did not cheat on you! I was framed!"

"Oh yeah, because you're so bloody rich and famous that someone would waste their time on you," she said sarcastically, her lips twitching with a hint of a smirk.

"CAROLINE I SWEAR-" His hands balled into fists, his eyes wild with anger.

She arched a brow. "What? You swear what?" Her tone was venomous from her anger and by his actions.

"What the hell is your problem?! Are you out of your mind?!"

"Yes! You're driving me mad! Thank you for noticing!" She bellowed back. "Go fuck yourself seriously, and get the fuck out of my life and never show me your face again."

Klaus was silent, noting the fire in her eyes. Then he jerked her to him. "Is that what you want?" he whispered, staring into each other's eyes that demanded answers and honesty. Klaus cupped her cheek, and she unconsciously sank into his touch. It was a habit of his to touch her cheek, and gaze into her eyes when he wanted her mind and heart to focus on him.

"For me to get out of your life? To never see me again, Caroline? I can forget all your hurtful words if you'd just take me back." He touched his forehead to hers, as their breath mingled with each other. His voice was pleading when he added, "It's not too late for us. We can't give up on each other like this." They were chest to chest, lips to lips. He seized her chin and slanted his mouth over hers in a hard, furious kiss. Hot, crushing and taking the breath from her, it was a kiss full of anger and thrumming, unchained need. Klaus plunged his tongue into her mouth, his taste and the intimacy making her cling to him, demanding more.

Caroline closed her eyes, not wanting to stare into his eyes because she knew if she did, she would burst into tears. She kissed him back with fervour, twining her fingers into his hair and pressing into him. She wanted to drink him in, savour the essence of him, the feel of his body melded to hers. Her heart almost stopped when he pulled her even closer, so fast against him that her feet left the ground.

But then reality crashed down and she pushed him away. "Stop!" She tore her mouth from his and stepped back, looking angry. "Don't ever touch me again with your cheating hands and the lips that had touched god knows how many women."

"Oh, it comes back to that-"

"It always comes back to that!" She yelled, her body shaking with uncontrollable anger at herself for giving into him so easily. "You want me to be honest with you? Here is my honesty. I don't want you. I want you gone from my life, and I'm begging you, Niklaus, leave me the hell alone."

Klaus shook his head, as he resisted the urge to drive his fist through the wall. "But what if that's not what I want?" he asked, wishing that things were different. They were different- him and Caroline...they were a ticking time bomb who were ready to blow up. Anything and everything set them off into a screaming match, accusations hurled at each other and arguments that had no end.

She shrugged, the words making her eyes blur with tears. "It's too late." He nodded before walking past her, not even bothering to get his things, and he just left, gave up by respecting her wishes. She was doing what was best for them and for their children.

But was it a right decision?

XXXX

Morning came. Another painful day had passed and another to come. Caroline knocked on Rebekah's house and waited for her to open up. She hadn't slept a wink last night, and she knew how horrible she looked. Her house had been empty without Noah, and the feeling of loneliness was something that didn't set her mind to ease. She didn't like that feeling and she didn't want it anymore.

All her life, she had been surrounded with people, never once had she slept alone in a house all by herself and she hadn't thought she would find herself alone. Her bed had been too big for her, too cold and she had tried sleeping on Noah's bed, but that hadn't helped either. So Caroline had ended up sleeping outside Klaus' door, hidden from view, comforted by the presence of him even if he was at the other side of the wall. She had slept soundly then, her dreams consisted of them once again happily married.

Nightmares didn't welcome her for a change, maybe it was because she could hear him moving inside his apartment. Klaus had always been the one to chase away her nightmares, and every time he was away, he always made sure to call her and ask her to put the phone on speaker, and then go to sleep with the sound of his voice. He would not end up the call until it was morning.

"Caroline, good morning, come on in." Stefan greeted her, moving aside to let her inside the house. He was still in his pajamas, holding a hot cup of coffee in his hand.

"Morning, Stefan." She smiled at him, walking inside the warm house. He didn't seem to be different towards her after what she did yesterday. He was acting as if nothing of sort had happened, and she was glad he did.

"Mommy!" Small hands wrapped around her legs and a laugh escaped Caroline's mouth, happiness washing over her at the sight of her son.

"Hey, baby." She picked him up and kissed him on the forehead, turning to Stefan. "I hope he didn't bother you."

"Noah? No way. I love having him around here." Stefan ruffled Noah's hair. "It keeps Kate and Ben away from Rebekah and I," he added, referring to their twins. "The longer he's here, the longer we keep our sanity. I totally approve of sending them to boarding school, but Rebekah is against it. I'm thinking of sending her along with them too."

"Hey, that's so mean." His wife appeared from upstairs, still in her night robes. She glared at her husband. "Do you want to sleep on the couch tonight, dear?"

Stefan wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest. "Sorry, honey. You're an amazing wife and I love you so much." Caroline couldn't help the jealousy she felt at that moment. She tried to hide it, she really did, but Rebekah saw her expression and entangled herself from Stefan's arms.

Clearing her throat, Rebekah smiled at her. "Are you sure you don't want me to come? I don't want you to be alone."

"No, that's alright. It's just a checkup, nothing else. Just keep Noah for a little bit, please? I'll pick him up later. Thank you, and sorry you had to babysit him."

Her sister-in-law looked offended at her words. "Seriously, Caroline, if you thank me one more time, I will bloody well disown you. Noah is my godson and my nephew, who beside me can take care of him?" She took him from Caroline arms and set him down, holding his hand. "Go, darling, he will be in one piece when you get back."

Caroline gave a quick hug to her and a kiss on her son's head. Waving at Stefan, she walked out of the house and into her car. The drive to the hospital was a ten minutes drive, and her doctor was waiting for her when she got there. Dr Alaric did a checkup and assured her the baby was fine, as well as herself. Then he has asked her if she wanted to know the gender of her baby, or if she would want to come with her husband next time. She straight out told him Klaus would not be around for a couple of days, and she didn't want to wait for him to come back. She knew she wanted to share this moment with Klaus, to hold each other's hands as they waited to know if their baby was going to be a girl or a boy.

Klaus wanted a girl who would look and behave exactly like her mother, but he was fine with a boy as well. Caroline on the other hand wanted another son who would look like Klaus. She had teased him one evening, telling him how she would love to have more sons like him, and he had laughed and told her he wanted another Caroline to trouble him. Was she betraying him for coming alone and learning of their baby's gender when they had promised to be there at the same time? She had almost picked up her phone, ready to call him when a voice in her mind reminded her of what he did, and how he wouldn't care about the gender. That brought fresh tears to her eyes. It hurt. But it didn't hurt anymore when she learned that she was having a daughter.

A daughter.

Klaus had wanted a daughter. They were finally going to have a little girl. She choked back a happy sob, her fingers immediately dialling his number without a second thought. Klaus, we're having a girl! A daughter! Noah is going to have a little sister. Caroline giggled. He didn't pick up. She tried once, twice and then it went straight to voicemail. Then she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. This kind of pain was normal for a pregnant woman. Caroline had thought the pain had dulled.

"Caroline! Caroline!" She lifted her head up to the frantic voice that was yelling her name. A small pang of hope filled her heart when she saw him walking fast toward her. He's here. He is really here _._ She thought he didn't care. She didn't even care Rebekah had practically ratted her out. Klaus was here for them. He cared about his daughter. He still cared about her. A smile began to form on her face, but it dropped when he grabbed both her shoulders and screamed with his bloodshed eyes, "What have you done?!"

She didn't understand what he was trying to tell her. The way he grabbed her shoulders was painful, but she didn't complain. She wanted to know what got him so upset. "Klaus, I dont know what you're trying to say."

Her oblivousnes to his words annoyed him to no end. Did she need him to spell it out? What he was accusing her of doing-what she already did? "What did you do to my baby?! How could you!" It didn't hit her at first, but when it did, she nearly collapsed, feeling like something had pierced her right through the heart. How could he think...how could he think she would do something like that to her own daughter? How could he even suggest something as insane as that? There was no doubt in his eyes that she couldn't do it.

Klaus stood over her, resembling a wild animal. He was red in the face, his heart hammering with fear and anger. What did she expect him to think? He remembered her earlier words, how she didn't want Noah or the baby in her womb, and she could easily get rid of it. She was capable of hurting him that much.

"So help me, Caroline, you have better not killed my child."

Hurt flashed through her eyes, and a tear fell down her eyes. She looked down, gripping her fists as she tried not to have a panic attack. Her voice cracking, she answered, "I'm not a monster."

"I don't believe you." The stare that her eyes reflect nearly burn a hole in his head. He wouldn't feel guilty, not if he thought she had killed his child.

"Why? I'm your wife and y-"

"You aren't my wife, Caroline."

Caroline was quick to hide her pain. Her heart could have exploded, and she wouldn't care because right now, nothing hurt as much as his words did. Was this really Klaus? Could there be someone behind his face? She tried not to fall and not to sob, she tried not to fell on her knees and begged him to take back his accusations. She could take anything, but that. She loved her children. She would never hurt them.

He insisted on her getting checked up again to see if his baby was still in her womb, despite her trying to tell him it was. She had tried telling him they were having a daughter, but he had straight out called her a liar, and dragged her along with him to another hospital, not trusting that her doctor wouldn't lie to him despite knowing him for years. Caroline had simply kept quiet in the car, crying quietly but she knew it wasn't as quiet as she thought it was.

"Is everything alright?" Klaus asked, as he stood behind Caroline, watching as the doctor checked her up. Caroline was laying on the bed, looking away from him because she despised his face at the moment.

"It's quite alright, Mr. Mikaelson," Dr. Julian assured the couple. "It is just a round ligament pain she's experiencing."

"So she didn't cause this?"

Dr Julian looked between the wife and the husband in confusion. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"He's trying to ask you if his baby is still in there," Caroline answered, angrily. If looks could kill, Klaus would be dead.

The doctor scratched the back of his head. "Of course, Mr. Mikaelson. Why wouldn't your daughter be in there? Are you trying to say that you think she aborted the baby?" He coughed. "She is your wife, isn't she? Why would she abort her baby? Forgive me, Mr. Mikaelson, but I hardly come across a husband accusing his wife of such thing."

Guilt and regret rose inside Klaus. He glanced at Caroline who looked embarrassed and angry. He couldn't blame her. He had failed her. He seemed to be failing her all the time. But it was the fear of a father that led him to this. He hadn't intentionally meant for this to happen. He should have waited for Rebekah to explain to him why Caroline was at the hospital, and he should have waited for Caroline to explain to him to why he found her writhing in pain.

He couldn't look her in the eyes without feeling embarrassed. He had assumed the worst, he had said things to her with no remorse. But he had forgotten she was Caroline. A woman who wouldn't hurt a fly. A woman who loved her family very much. And it was the tears in her eyes that reminded him of the woman he had loved. The woman whose honesty shone in her eyes he had failed to see. She was the mother of his children, the woman he kept hurting without a second thought.

"Heartbeat is normal," Dr Julian continued. "The baby and the mother are both fine. Nothing to worry about." The doctor didn't leave the room until he was satisfied Klaus had no other doubts in his mind. And then there were the two of them. Caroline sat up and buttoned up her shirt quietly, declining his offer to help.

"Caroline..."

"Dont," she warned coldly, as she brushed past him and out of the room, leaving him with his guilt.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello! So, exams in two weeks and I can't update any of my stories until I'm done with them. I'm so sorry, but I have been busy studying and being all on edge. Exams really a bitch. But I finally managed to update this one, yay! I was listening to Rhodes' 'Home' when I wrote this chapter. For those of you writing exams too, good luck to you! Wish me luck too! See you soon xxx**_

* * *

 _ **Aftermath**_

 _ **Four**_

He hated himself. He was ashamed of himself. There were no words he could use to describe how he was feeling at the moment. He could lash out, but then that wouldn't change anything. He could cry, and that still wouldn't be enough. What he did, what he accused her of doing, could that really be him? Was he somehow possessed? What had driven him to do such thing? How could he look her in the eye now? How could he look at Noah after he had accused his mother of killing his sister? How could he look at himself in the mirror, the man he was becoming - the man he became. Was it really him? Was this the man who a month ago wouldn't even accused his wife of anything - who blindly trusted her, who always turned deaf to all the horrible things anyone would say about her? It was true what they say about men; one day he's in love with you, and the next day he's a completely different man. Klaus wasn't a different man. He just...he didn't know what he was exactly. He was suffering. His heart was bleeding, his mind was clouded with painful thoughts that were scattered, made it impossible to know what's right and what's not right? Have you ever experienced being so lost before? Was that what was happening to him? Lost or not, angry or not, hurt or not, he would not let her go just yet. That was why he followed her, his legs weak as ever, his heart heavier than ever.

Caroline was already seated in her car when he found her, but she hadn't started the engine yet. She wasn't crying like he thought she would be. She was just staring, her eyes fixed on nothing, and it broke his heart to see he caused her a lot of pain that she couldn't even cry. He opened the door and got inside, closing the door quietly. She never blinked, never moved or turned to him. She was still staring, saying nothing at all. He wanted to say something, but he just didn't know how to start. How would you start? Apologising wouldn't mean anything to her, not if she thought he meant everything he said and did. Klaus looked at her, really looked at her. She had lost her glow, her eyes looked hollow and had bags under them, her lips looked kind of blue and her skin were pale.

"Do you remember when I was pregnant with Noah?" she asked him out of blue. He glanced at her, but she was still looking away. Caroline continued in a detach tone, "do you remember when I couldn't feel him kicking?" He remembered that day exactly. It was a horrifying day, one he didn't wish to experience again. "How I was out of my mind? I thought he died. I thought _he's dead_ and that was it."

Klaus closed his eyes, willing himself not to remember. Yes, even if Noah was alive, it didn't mean he still couldn't remember the pain, the worry and Caroline's grieve. She had begged him to save her son's life, cried like she had never cried before. She had even tried to kill herself, just so she couldn't open her eyes the next day, and not have her son any more. She couldn't live a life where she would have to live, knowing she had killed Klaus' only child, even if it wasn't her fault. But then, Noah had started to kick again. He wasn't dead like they all thought he had been.

"I know what everyone thought at that time. Caroline is too sensitive. They don't know that I feel too much. Every word, every action goes straight to my heart. You accused me of killing my daughter when you knew I tried to kill myself when I thought Noah had died."

He hated this. He hated how he was actually feeling her pain in his chest, felt it tugging his heart, piercing into it, but he wanted to keep it inside. He wanted the pain to destroy him, and not her. She didn't deserve it. She was breaking, and Klaus, he was breaking with her.

"I'm trying, Klaus, I'm really trying, but I can't deal with this any more. I hurt so bad," Her voice rasped out, finally meeting his eyes, he was shocked to see how utterly broken she really was. "Why do you hurt me? Do you know the worst part of it all?" Her eyes now shone with fresh tears. "That it didn't take you a minute to accuse me - to hurt me, you seem to have forgotten who I am."

"Caroline.."

"I'm tired." She continued to sniff. "So tired." Tired, Caroline was. Tired of being accused. Tired of hurting inside. Tired of being trampled on. He didn't constantly need to make her feel pain enough to know he hated her. "If you love Camille...if you love her - which you obviously do, or you wouldn't have left your family - I won't hate you. I'm going to support your decision like I always have. All I want is your happiness." She swallowed painfully, for the first time really feeling like she had lost him. It had finally registered to her that Klaus was not hers, and there wasn't that scared feeling of losing him any more.

She wanted to scream, to shout. She wanted to start the engine and drive them down a cliff. She wanted him to feel the twisting pain in her heart, wanted him to the know the feeling of something you love taken away. She wanted him to suffer just the way she was suffering, but she couldn't do all that. He had already stripped her of her title, and now she was stripping him the love she had for him. He wouldn't look her in the eyes and see the woman who had loved him, he could only see the woman who had became a stranger to him. The woman he had left with a bruised and battered heart.

His voice trembled, his eyes blurring with tears. "Listen to me. I acted without thinking. For that, I'm sorry. I'm never going to stop being sorry for hurting you," he confessed, and it meant little to her. "I know I fucked up big time. I know you might never be able to forgive me, but I just want you to find it in your heart to forgive me." He begged her with the eyes that only wanted to see her until his death, with the lips that only had loving words for her, that only kissed her own lips, touched her body and with the heart that knew no other woman except her, the heart that beats only for her.

Caroline shook her head at him. At this point, she couldn't see herself ever forgetting and forgiving any time soon. She would rather have him respect her choice. "You're talking about something that it's not easy. Don't make me promise something I can never keep. No, Niklaus, I can't do what you want."

They stared at each other, both knew what the other was feeling. "When is it going to stop?" Klaus asked, his voice breaking. "This feeling in our chests that makes it hard to breathe, when is it going to stop, Caroline?" _When was it going to stop?_ The answer was there in the unspoken words.

 _When nothing hurts any more._

 _XXXX_

Broken heart hurts. Staying apart hurt a lot more. But it could never match up to the feeling of seeing the person you loved so much turned into a stranger, that you got nothing to say to them except the empty hellos and goodbyes, and sometimes going the other way when you saw them. _Twenty days, six hours, twelve minutes and three seconds_. That was how long Klaus and Caroline had changed their relationship into something else. They weren't husband and wife, they weren't friends and they weren't even acquaintances. Klaus couldn't say he was happy with how everything had turned out, but it hurt less without the fights and threats. He couldn't even be in the same room with her, and neither would she. She would drop off Noah on his door and would immediately leave. If they saw each other on the street, he would ignore the pang in his heart, and would walked past her. He told himself that was better. At least they couldn't hurt each other any more.

By now everyone had known what happened. Everyone had tried to get them to talk to each other, restore what had broken between them, but it was impossible. No one had been more hurt and angry more than his sister. Rebekah had said hurtful words to him, had screamed and yelled at him for not trying to make Caroline understand, but he had told her what he was sure about. Caroline would never get back with him. He had pushed her way too far that nothing would ever work. He had pushed her to the point that she had shut herself off to everyone.

He was waiting for this call, so that was why he was quick to answer it, placing the phone to his left ear. "What have you found out?" he asked, his heart pounding with nervousness. There was a deep sigh from the caller, answering Klaus' question. Frustrated and angry, he knocked a flower vase as he drew in a breath.

"I'm sorry," The person said apologetically. "Marcel is clean, at least I think he is. I have followed him all day, but I don't think he knows where Camille is, Klaus, and neither is he in contact with her."

"What about the video, Stefan?"

"I had the number traced and it's right out of town," Stefan revealed. "I wouldn't be surprised if Camille got herself out of town. I'm going to check it out tomorrow, but I have to make an excuse to Rebekah."

"Thank you for doing this," Klaus said, gratefully. Stefan was the only person he could confide in, and the only person who would be able to do anything to find Camille. He had asked Stefan to follow Marcel, thinking that the man was lying to him and he was hiding something, probably Camille. He was just shocked to know Marcel was being truthful about not knowing her whereabouts .

"Don't worry about it, Klaus. The sooner we get hold of Camille, the sooner you and Caroline get back together. I hate seeing you two like this." Stefan's voice came out as a light whisper. Klaus failed to respond, pain replacing the anger that resided in his eyes seconds ago. He wanted to believe things would be okay between them after all this was over. He really wanted to. He sat in silence, guilt overcoming him. Stefan continued, "There's something else...the girl Davina has met up with a woman for coffee. What's odd is that the woman didn't seem like she wanted to be out in the open. She had seemed nervous and it had looked like they were arguing."

His interest piqued up. "What does she look like?"

"Tall..dark hair-"

"Hayley? What the hell is Hayley Marshall doing here?" Klaus mind was devoid of thoughts and his heart brimmed with emotions."

"You know her?"

"Not very well," he replied, as he clenched his fists. "We have talked once or twice when she was at Marcel's office. She's friends with Camille...a close one at that. But she had left town three months ago for an unknown reason."

"So, you're saying this Hayley could lead us to Camille?"

He nodded, even though Stefan couldn't see him. "If there's anyone who knows where she's hiding, it's Hayley."

"Good, then I'll talk to her."

"No," Klaus said quickly, then explained, "Let me talk to her. Hayley won't tell you anything, and if you confront her, she might disappear from us. Let me meet and talk to her, Stefan. It's got to be me." Or else Hayley wouldn't talk to him, and worse, she could tell Camille and well, he wasn't about to let that happen. Klaus fortunately knew her address because he had dropped her off to her house once when her car broke down, and he had been the one to find her on the street alone at night.

Klaus sat in his car, as he watched Hayley came out of her house and walked toward her car. She got inside it and drove away. Not wasting any more time, he started his engine and followed closely behind her. He wanted to know where she was going, if he was lucky enough, she would lead him straight to Camille. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he was going to do when he find the woman who ruined his life. What did she deserve from him? But when he thought about it, he only wanted one thing and that was to clear his name to Caroline. That was all he wanted, for his wife to know he was innocent.

He had been following Hayley for thirty minutes now. Her first stop was at a coffee shop and he hadn't bothered to go inside, and she had came out three minutes later. He had known she hadn't gone inside to talk to someone. The second stop was at the flower shop and she had came out with a bouquet of white roses in her hands. The third stop was at a bank. Klaus felt so disappointed because she wasn't leading him to answers, and he was just wasting his time. But still, he wouldn't stop following her.

Hayley stopped in the middle of the road and it took her five minutes before she started driving again. The same thing happened a minute later and he was getting more confused. What was she doing? At the third time, she got out of her car and a warning bell went off in his head when she started walking to his car, an annoyed look on her face. He knew then that his cover had been blown and she knew he was following her. Getting out of his car, he crossed his arms and waited until she was standing in front of him. Nothing had changed with her except that her hair was a bit shorter than it was before.

"Klaus, do I need to know why you have been following me?"

Klaus smiled at her, a smile that couldn't be categorized as such. "I need to know where you are hiding Camille," he said straight to the point. There was no need to beat around the bush. He wasn't a patient man.

"I don't understand what you are saying."

He snorted. "Of course you wouldn't understand anything, Hayley. Let me say it slowly so that you would understand: Tell me where Camille is right now."

"What the hell are you talking about? Where would I hide, Cami? Seriously, do you need to visit the hospital? I haven't spoken to her in a while and I don't plan to!" Hayley was getting frustrated, barely able to understand what he was saying.

"You expect me to believe that you haven't had a hand in ruing my marriage?" he asked, accusingly. The shock registered in her face, frozen by realisation. Her shoulders tensed, something he suddenly noticed. "You had a hand! How could you do this to me, Hayley?!" He held her shoulders as he shook them angrily. "Do you think my life is a joke! My marriage...Caroline...my kids...it's all gone because Camille decided to ruin everything!" Silence fell between them, the accusation settled in her ear. Klaus told her how Camille had framed him and how she had suddenly disappeared after that.

"I didn't..."

"Tell me where she is." he couldn't listen to her lie and say she had no hand in it when her face said it all.

She stared at him, her lips shaking with dread. "I didn't think she would do this. You have to believe me, Klaus, that I didn't know she would ruin your marriage. That was why I left in the first place, because I wasn't on her side. I had no idea it would lead to this." Hayley was shaking her head, far too gone in her thoughts.

Klaus shook her one last time to get her attention. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"Look," she tried to calm him down. "I would tell you everything I know, but we can't do it here. Lets go back to my apartment. Please, Klaus."

He nodded, releasing her to get back to her car. A part of him was relieved that he was finally going to get some answers. Maybe not all the answers, but anything was good. He believed her when she said she wasn't part of it. Ten minutes later, he was walking behind her into her apartment. Hayley took off her jacket and bung it up, her mind still occupied with her thoughts. She settled on her couch and leaned for wad, crossing her arms as she started into space.

"Cami is insane," she started to say. "Insanely in love with you. She has been for a while now. I thought it was just a normal crush, but I had been wrong. All she talked about was you. It hadn't bothered me much thinking it would just stop because you were married and had a son. It didn't register to me that Camille needed help until I caught her stalking you, saw her cutting Caroline's pictures into pieces and burning them. I saw her keeping tabs on your schedules and calls. She was obsessed with you it was scary. I remember talking to her about it and she had just brushed my advice off. We started to argue about you...she stopped telling me things. I was worried because that was unusual for her. One day I came over to her house, I saw her talking to Davina. I couldn't catch what they were saying because the moment they heard me, they stopped talking. Camille wouldn't tell me anything, and she made it clear that she wouldn't stop trying to get to you. We had never argued the way we did and I left town. I couldn't stay here and watch her ruin a marriage and I couldn't exactly tell you. I was afraid for my friend. I knew she was sick and needed great help."

Klaus had the most shocking look on his face. He had to sit to be able to think about what she had said. Camille was in love with him...obsessed. It was her obsession for him that led her to do all these things. He couldn't believe that she had stalked him...monitored all his movements and calls. That was sick. She was bloody sick to do that. He believed Hayley because he didn't need a reason not to. At least now he knew why she left in the first place. Sighing with a heavy heart, he ran his fingers in to his short hair and mulled over her words once again. Never in his life had he thought he would be a victim to an obsession. He had only seen them in movies, but never in real life. Why would Camille do this? Why hadn't Hayley offered to help her when she knew her friend was sick?

Klaus couldn't begin to imagine how it was going to sound like to anyone or even Caroline. Would she believe him? Would she still think he would try and bury his mistake with a lie. Yes, that's what she was exactly going to do. He wouldn't tell her anything until he had find out where Camille was hiding. She would only be the one to clear his name. And then he remembered the name Hayley had mentioned was working with Camille. Davina. Why would Davina, a sane person like her be involved in this? Did Marcel know? Was he trying to protect her also? Could he have known what she had done? And probably knew where Camille was.

"You should have said something," Klaus said in a heated tone. "She could have done worse than she did. She could have hurt Caroline or Noah. Why didn't you come to me?"

Hayley looked down, looking remorse. "I'm sorry," she apologised. "I didn't know what decision you would have taken. Camille was my friend and I loved her. I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner."

He shook his head. Apology wasn't what he needed. "So, Davina?" He still couldn't believe it. It felt so unreal when it was anything but real. "I'm going to need to talk to Davina."

"You cant?"

He glanced at her, his eyebrows raised in question. "And why the bloody hell not?"

"Because she has already bought a ticket out of the country for a couple of days."

"What?" he asked in disbelief. "She's gone?"

"Yes."

"How the hell am I supposed to find Camille without her?"

"I will help you. I will help you find her and save your marriage. Don't worry, we will find her in no time."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Wow, it's been months since I have updated this fic. But I'm back writing it, though there's going to be some delay since I've 3 ongoing stories. Fear not, i won't take so long to update it. Thanks for your patience.**_

 _ **Kisses.**_

* * *

 ** _Aftermath_**

 ** _Five_**

 _Hello? Klaus? Can you hear me?_

 _What's wrong?_

 _I'm sorry, I had no choice. I had to do it._

 _What do you mean you had to do it?_

 _Marcel filed a missing report on Camille. Apparently, she called him crying and begging for help. She told him she was coming after her, and that he should help her before it was too late. He never got a name out of Camille before the call ended. You'd never believe who's on the top list of suspect._

 _Who? Who is it, Stefan?_

 _Caroline. He's saying Caroline had something to do with the disappearance of Camille, because she broke her marriage up. And Klaus, it doesn't look pretty. Caroline could be in serious trouble. She has every right reason to hurt Camille, but I know her, and I know she wouldn't do something like that. But I don't think anyone would believe me or her._

 _I'm coming._

 _"_ Mrs. Mikaelson, is it? Or should I say Miss? I don't know which you go by now." Detective Griffith met Caroline's eyes that had darkened beyond compare. He was the detective that was in charge of the case, this ridiculous case she had no part in, and he had been the one to cuff her in front of her son, which by the way wasn't right at all. If she had had any strength in her, she would have punched him in the face, rules be damned. She could say that she felt at ease for not having the cuffs in her wrists anymore, but it didn't mean she liked this interrogation room. "Do you know why you're here?"

"No, but I can't wait to hear what you think I did, detective." She watched as he pushed a tape recorder towards her.

He smiled, as if he thought she was going to say that. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Do you know any woman by the name Camille O'connell?" He paused, as he waited for a reaction out of her, one that would instantly make her look guilty but she gave him none.

"Yes, I believe so."

Detective Griffith uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, watching her every move and actions carefully. That's what a good detective would do. "How do you know her, Mrs. Mikaelson? She a friend? A co worker?"

Caroline pressed her lips together before looked away for a second. "She's not my coworker and she's definitely not my friend either," she said.

"How about your husband's mistress, then?" His mouth widened into a grin and she almost gave him a reaction but she quickly masked her face. "Your husband, Klaus Mikaelson, was having an affair with Miss O'connell. Is that true, Mrs. Mikaelson?" he added. "Were you aware of it?"

"Yes, I'm aware that Klaus had an affair with Camille." It pained her to think about it and it also pained her to say it out loud. Saying it out loud would mean that it was really true, and it had happened. "I still don't know why i'm here, detective."

"You see, Mrs. Mikaelson, Miss O'connell has been missing for a while."

"And you think I have something to do with this?" Caroline quickly asked, outraged to think he was accusing her of such thing.

"You have every reason to want her gone. She had an affair with your husband, stole him from you, broke your family, so of course you'd be angry and then you would want revenge. Tell me where she is!" He raised his voice in anger, trying to intimidate her so that she would confess to her crime.

"Excuse me?!"

"Where are you hiding her?!" He shouted, slamming his fists on the table. The veins in his forehead popped. "Tell me what you have done to her. Have you hurt her, Mrs. Mikaelson? Tell me and I'd see that you don't spend the rest of your life in prison."

"I assure you that I have nothing to do with her disappearance. If I had wanted revenge, I would have included my husband as well."

"So you're admitting that you had something to do with her disappearance!"

Caroline scowled. "I didn't say that!"

"We could avoid a lot of things if you'd tell me where she is."

"I don't know!" Caroline seethed. "I was at home the night of her disappearance. I came home very upset because I found out what had happened between her and Klaus."

"How did you know she disappeared that night, Mrs. Mikaelson? Unless you had something to do with it. You came home upset about your husband's affair, and then you left your home to seek Miss O'connell out. You found her and you kidnapped her!"

Her eyes widened as her hands flailed by her sides in utter disbelief. "Stop twisting my words!"

Detective Griffith smirked, setting his hands in front of himself as he looked over at her. "Why don't you do us a favour and confess?" he smiled vindictively. "Maybe you didn't mean it. Maybe you were too angry and upset to realise what you had done. I get it, people do a lot of things when they are angry about something without realising it. Maybe that was what had happened to you, Mrs. Mikaelson. I promise you, nothing will happen to you. Just tell me the truth."

Caroline leaned forward without any hint of fear in her eyes, announcing that she wasn't going to be punished for something she had no clue about. "Not guilty. You're just wasting your time sitting her and interrogating me, when you should be out there looking for Camille."

With a tight lip expression, he nodded his head. But before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Detective Griffith gathered the tape recorder and got up from the chair, giving one last look at Caroline, he opened the door and walked out. And then it was at that moment she managed to let the tears fall. She gasped and clutched her blouse, the accusations and the wound that wasn't nearly healed was opened. She didn't think anything could get any worse, but it did. Caroline hated them all, she especially hated Klaus who was the source of her problems. She hated Camille, but she didn't think she could ever wish ill on her, or anyone for that matter.

Noah, he had to see. He had to see his own mother being taken away from him. She didn't know how this was going to affect his life. Caroline had tried so hard to make everything better, she didn't want to give her soon a bad childhood, memories that would haunt him as he grew up, but the more she tried, the more worse things got for them. Everyone thought she had something to do with Camille's disappearance, could see it in their eyes. How dare Marcel thought she could do something like that, as if he hadn't known her. But she couldn't blame him for acting out like this. His friend was missing, so she had to be the suspect. The wife was always the suspect when her husband's mistress goes missing.

Detective Griffith came back sooner than she had expected, and she knew then things were not going to get better. She stole one look at the cuffs in his hands, and she closed her eyes, trying so hard not to have a panic attack. That wouldn't look good for her. She managed to put on a brave face, even as he cuffed her hands and grabbed her shoulder, carefully lifting her up from the chair. Her eyes were blurry from the tears that wouldn't go away, she moved forward, stepped out of the interrogating room. She knew where he would take her, and she put a protective hand over her stomach, as if shielding her unborn baby from harm.

He came running in, almost tripping with his own feet, his eyes gazing around the station to spot her, but what he saw made his breath hitched and his head hurt. He saw the blonde woman standing behind bars, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at him with so much disappointment, hurt, anger and broken heart. Klaus' gazed went to Stefan, who was approaching him.

"What the bloody hell is going on, Stefan?" He couldn't help but spat the words out, taking his eyes off his wife—ex wife, trying so hard to stay in control and not create any scene. "Why is she in there?!"

"Klaus, calm down."

He took in a deep breath. "Don't tell me to calm down. She's pregnant for god's sake. Where are the keys? I want her out, Stefan." He moved to go over to Stefan's office, but the man quickly stood in front of him, stopping him. "Stefan..."

"Mr. Mikaelson," A voice stopped the words he was about to utter, his gaze drifting past his brother-in-law to the man who had just spoken. "I was just about to call you in. Thanks for saving me the trouble. I'm Detective Griffith, and I'm in charge of Camille O'connell's case. I'm sure you must be devastated about her disappearance, and hearing that your wife is behind it..." He trailed off, taking a quick glance at the blonde woman behind bars before moving his gaze back to her husband.

Klaus shook his head, not even wanting that thought in his mind. "Caroline didn't- she wouldn't do something like that. She's a good woman, and you can't jump into conclusions."

Detective Griffith smiled, as if he had expected that as much. "Let me tell you something, Mr Mikaelson. The good ones are those you'd least expect them to do something bad. I have handled cases like this, and the wives are always the guilty ones," he said, crossing his arms. "Now you might say your wife is different, but I assure you, she's no more different than the rest."

If looks could kill, the detective would have fallen to the ground in seconds. Klaus wanted nothing more than to punch the sickening smile on his face. "You have no proof that she did it, Detective, so I'd advise you to release her to me right this minute, and when you do have the proof, you can feel free to do whatever you want. But for now..." He moved closer to the man, staring up at him with the deadliest glare he could muster, and continued, "let her go."

"The last time anyone saw Camille O'Connell was around 12am, and after that no one saw her again. I have an eye witness that puts your wife in the same area around the same time. She had every right reason to want her gone. She broke her marriage and tore her family apart. I'm going to get the confession out of her if I have to, and you will see what you wife is really capable of."

Stefan met Klaus' eyes, seeing the struggle his brother-in-law was going through, he couldn't blame him. If Rebekah was accused and sent to jail, his reaction would have been ten times worse. But he knew Klaus was only restraining himself, not wanting things to get bad.

"Caroline."

Stefan heard the panic in Klaus' voice, and he glanced toward his sister-in-law, seeing how pale she looked as she turned away from the bars and gripped them for support. Klaus was moving toward her before he could say it was a bad idea.

"Mr. Mikaelson, you can't do that."

"I can't do—can't you see what she's going through?!" Klaus shouted at Detective Griffith before looking at Caroline, who was trying to keep the nausea down. "Get out of my way, Detective."

"She will be fine. A lot of pregnant women have been in jail and they turn out fine. Please, and Mr Mikaelson, if you don't want me to throw you out of the station, you'd stay away from her."

"I'm going to let him see her, Griffith," Stefan finally spoke up, glaring at his co worker. "This is ridiculous. You're holding someone without evidence, and I'd be damned if something happens to her at the station. I'm going to let him see his wife." Klaus sent a grateful look to him. Stefan swiped the keys from his desk and rushed to unlock the cell that bound Caroline. He swung back the metal bars and Klaus rushed to her when he saw her covering her mouth. Stefan pointed to the nearest bathroom, and Klaus was right behind her, guiding her to it.

Caroline continued to throw up, and Klaus gathered her hair in his hands and moved it out of the way, the woman who he claimed wasn't his wife anymore. Maybe that was what he kept telling himself, but his actions for the last five minutes spoke otherwise. His stomach twisted at the state she was in, her knuckles had paled a ghastly white, and she was making sounds that made him close his eyes every now and then.

"Caroline," was his breathless response, his gaze never taking off her. She turned her head away, not having the courage to look him in the eye. No, she wouldn't look at him. He didn't have to be here. She didn't need him to help her. Before she could deny his help and throw his act of caring on his face, he was already beside her, rubbing soothing circles in her back and another tucking a strand that had fallen behind her ear.

"It's alright, you'll be fine. It will pass." She felt really horrible, and his presence wasn't helping her. She just wanted to lay down and close her eyes, she wanted everything to be over. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes from the pressure in her heart, feeling as though her heart being ripped out pieces by pieces, felt like a fire was roaring inside them.

"Thank you," she silently said, feeling a tightness in her throat. The weakness of her tone was torture for him to hear, but he wasn't used to her being weak or the lack of the strength. He accepted it by touching her waist as he moved from beside her to behind her. Caroline's head leaned against his shoulder. When she looked up, their eyes met in the mirror that was in front of them. She didn't think there was something she would say to him anymore. They both gazed at the reflection of each other, a reflection of what they used to be. And it continued to hurt, because there was so much hesitation between them, so much unresolved tension but they put aside their differences then, as she supported her body against his and he welcomed her with open arms.

But she wasn't about to bring him into her life once more again. This was just a one time thing. She was the one who walked away but he was the one who started the fire, and she had always caught herself before she fell without needing him. She didn't trust him enough to lean on him or support her, because the future was unclear. He could very well hurt her again. If she fall into his trap again, she wouldn't be strong enough to get back up. It was easier to learn to do things herself than to depend on someone who wouldn't be there.

It took a couple of minutes before she pulled herself away from him and shook her head at him. Klaus nodded silently, allowing her to gather herself. He knew when his support wasn't needed anymore. He gave her another glance before he left her alone, despite feeling the urge to bring her back into his protective arms again. The moment he was out of sight, Caroline felt to her knees and tears rolled down her eyes. How could she have let herself fall into his embrace again? She wished a moment like this didn't happen. But even though they didn't like each other, there was still a spark when they touched each other, time stopped when they were in each other's arms, there was an intense love when they stare at each other, and their hearts beats for one another. It was still there; that undying love.

With one final breath, she started walking slowly, her hand on the wall to support her as she turned on the knob and opened it. She was still weak, and the contents of her stomach she had just emptied wasn't helpful. Caroline was tired, hadn't gotten much sleep last night and the uneasiness she kept feeling every now on then. Her legs almost gave out when she poked her head outside, closing her eyes and leaned her body against the wall. Walking tired her out.

"What are you doing?" She heard his panicked voice, and she had almost wanted to snap at him for it. He didn't have the right to care about her well being. Not anymore. "You should have called me. I would have helped you, Caroline."

Yeah, that was exactly why she didn't. She didn't want to owe him anything, and she didn't want him to think she couldn't do anything without his help, or give him a chance to think that it was just okay to barge into her life once more. She never moved, only turned her head to give him a menacing look. She had stripped him of all the privileges, shattered any hope that she would get back with him, to support her, to hold her up, to be family again.

Klaus could no longer apologise. He no longer knew if she loved him despite what he did, loved him with all his mistakes. Her eyes were more honest to him than her words, and he knew what they meant. Even if everything turned out not to be his fault, she still wouldn't look at him the way she used to. She would no longer need him to console her. His hands shook when he offered it to her. He knew Caroline was bound to reject his help now that she was able to stand on her feet. "Please, I need to do this."

Caroline looked at his hand before lifting her head to stare at him with a questioning look. He needed to do this? What about her needs? Her wants? Did he think she didn't have them? She had only needed her husband for so long, needed to be assured that he still loved her and that she hadn't completely lost him, despite telling herself that she did. Ignoring him, she made effort to move her legs and walked to the opposite direction of him. Stefan rushed to help her, wrapping her arms around his shoulder as he shot Klaus a confused look. He sat her down on his chair, and when she turned her head around and clasped a hand over her mouth, he quickly realised what brought this on. Stefan grabbed the donuts on his desk and dumped it in the garbage. The smell was what was bothering her.

Klaus was right behind her, ever the dutiful husband, ready to hold her waist and make sure she was alright but she placed a hand between them, stopping him. He wasn't there when she needed him, when she needed him to be. She was tired of him acting like he cared about her well being, if he had, she wouldn't be here in the first place. Dizziness was trying to take over her, and she almost fall sideways but she stumbled into Klaus' arms. His hold on her was warm, so loving, so intimate that it almost made her push him away, if only she had been strong enough.

"Just take deep breaths," he whispered softly into her ear. "I've got you, Caroline. Just take a deep breath and relax. I'm here, it will be fine."

But no, it would not be fine. He was asking her to be comfortable being pressed against him, with his soft voice whispering in her ear. He was asking her to be comfortable with the feeling of being safe with him, her head on his shoulder and their fingers entwined with one another. How could she still care about the husband who cheated on her? How could she still care about the husband who didn't think twice before ruining his family? The husband that she supported, loved and the husband she no longer called her own. She had fallen in love with Klaus Mikaelson, sweet and loving Klaus, who at that time would give the world to her, whom she thought had loved her more than he loved anyone.

Her eyes finally looked up into his, to see the man that he had became. Klaus noticed how tired and worn out she looked but there was a glow on her face. She was still so beautiful and he wanted her. He missed her so much, and he wanted to tell her what was on his mind, what invaded his thoughts but he didn't want to frighten her more. He desired to be forgiven.

"Do you think she will have my eyes?" Klaus asked, his eyes lowering to her bump with a large grin. "Or your nose?" He tapped her nose with his finger. "I think she will have your beautiful smile." She eyed him, without saying anything. "And your gorgeous curls." He ran his fingers through her hair.

Someone cleared their throat and Caroline was thankful for it. Detective Griffith stood tall in front of them, his eyes annoyed at the display of affection and the attention Caroline Mikaelson was receiving, when in fact she should be behind bars like any other criminal.

"Excuse me, Mr Mikaelson, a word please?"

Klaus didn't want to let go of Caroline just yet, but he knew he had to. "Fine," he spit the word out. He straightened up and followed Detective Griffith to his office. "Yes, what is it, Detective?" Klaus asked, watching the man walked behind his desk to sit on his chair. He followed suit.

"Mr, Mikaelson, I hope you will not be a problem in my investigation," The detective started. "Your wife is a suspect in a kidnapping. You don't look like you care about the disappearance of Camille, which comes back to my original question: did you and your wife planned this?"

"What?!"

Griffith entwined his hands and leaned forward. "It's a yes or no question, Mr Mikaelson."

"No! I didn't kidnap Camille."

His lips twitched. "You said I, not we. Which means you think it's your wife." Klaus opened his mouth to protest but he cut him off with another question. "Tell me, are you protecting her? I know it's your duty to, but it's also my duty to find Camille. Have you forgotten that she's missing? We don't know if she's hurt, or if she's alive. I'm the only one who can help Mrs Mikaelson, and if you get her to talk, her punishment will be less."

"Caroline wouldn't kill or hurt Camille," his voice wavered with a fraction of doubt. "She wouldn't...no. Absolutely not."

"I understand how you're feeling. You've been with this woman for years and you think she's incapable of doing this, but ask yourself this: why would Camille O'Connell disappear? Why has she gone missing the moment your wife knew of your affair with her?"

"She wouldn't do it."

"She wouldn't? Then explain to me why we found Camille's phone in your house? In your wife's belongings? And here's the shocking part. Why were the clothes she had worn the other night found with it? There were traces of blood on them. Do you still think your wife has nothing to do with it?"

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys. Hope you all had a good Christmas if you celebrate it. Happy New Year. Have a good one.**

* * *

 ** _Aftermath_  
**

 ** _Six_**

He stared at her, really stared at her. She looked annoyed, but mostly tired of the situation she was put in. He tried to search for the woman he had known for years, the nice and kind hearted woman that he had married underneath all the hate and the glare she had reserved for him. He tried to put some sense into everything, trying to remember the time she stopped being his Caroline, the woman he had married.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Her tone was soft, lacking the usual coldness reserved for him. Her question was ignored though, as he looked away. He truly wanted to believe her, he really did, but they found her phone and her clothes. "I can't believe this. You actually think I'm capable of doing something like this?"

He didn't think she was capable of doing anything an hour ago, but now he was questioning everything about her. "The evidence is all there." There was a shaking tone clear in his voice and he mustered the courage to look up into her eye. Despite everything that had happened between them, there was still love. He couldn't deny that.

Caroline tilted her head in confusion. "Evidence, what evidence?" This was something new and wasn't aware of. What was it that had him so shaken? What was it that had him second guessing her innocence?

Klaus inhaled shakily, leaning forward as he placed his hands on the table and entwined them to stop them from shaking, his hands that was inches away from hers. It took everything in him not to reach out and grasp hers. "They found her phone and her bloody clothes…" He couldn't tell if he was feeling sad that Camille was gone, or if what he felt was annoyance that she hadn't explained what had happened between them. "You need to tell me everything, Caroline, before things get out of hand."

The brave face she had been trying to put on crumbled in front of him and she withdrew her hands from the table, his words burning her. She looked him in the eye before she smiled, the little trust she had in him was diminished the minute he spoke the words. The toughest thing about the power of trust was that it was very difficult to build and very easy to destroy.

"You know for a minute, Klaus, I thought you were going to believe me." She laughed humorlessly, her eyes betraying her as a silent tear rolled down her eyes before she wiped it away. He should have believed she was telling the truth, should have believed she wouldn't do something like this. It broke her heart to know that she would never be able to trust him again. Each time he disappointed her, it took a piece of her that he would never be able to get back. Why do they call it a heartbreak when everything in her body also hurts?

"Come on, Caroline," he said, quietly. "What am I supposed to believe when all the proof was laid in front of me?"

"You're supposed to believe your wife!" Her voice trembled. Until this moment, she hadn't realised that someone could break your heart twice. "You're supposed to believe the woman you married, the woman who bore your children. You're supposed to look into my heart and never doubt me. I don't know why I expect you to when you hardly know me."

"But they found it in your belongings."

"It's called a frame job, Niklaus. Look it up," Her tone had risen but it still cracked at the end, showing her vulnerability.

"But who would frame you, Caroline? That doesn't make any sense."

She gave him a deathly glare. "Oh, but me hurting her makes sense?" There was no other way to say it. After being broken too many times, she had made herself completely numb inside. "I'm really done talking to you, Niklaus. Why don't you go and check up on Noah, and leave me alone."

A rasp on the door prevented him commenting her dismissal, after all there was nothing he could say to make her understand. He raised his head up and glanced at the door, not moving at all. He didn't want to leave just yet. He wanted to stay, he wanted to be wrong about Caroline. But whether it was a frame job or not, he had ruined it by not believing in her.

Klaus walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door but not before his eyes collided with Caroline's again. He stepped out, surprised to see a dark haired man standing beside Stefan. Stefan had an annoyed look on his face and it was understandable, knowing the history with the man, Klaus looked away.

"Why is he here?" he directed his question to Stefan who sighed and shook his head. "What does he have to do with anything?" He was really pissed off by the fact that Tyler Lockwood was here. _The Tyler Lockwood,_ his wife's first love. Tyler didn't bother to spare a glance at Klaus, thinking he was too good for him before he walked past him and into the interrogation room.

"It wasn't me," Stefan tried to say to spare himself from being ripped apart by an angry Klaus. He could not blame him though. They all hated Tyler Lockwood. The man had no shame in revealing how he was still in love with his sister-in-law. "Griffith thinks it's a murder investigation and he needed Lockwood."

"Well, you all better prepare for another murder," Klaus said coldly, his eyes gazing at the door that Tyler Lockwood had just walked in.

"Klaus, you won't do anything to him. Promise me that you will behave."

"I can't bloody promise you anything. If the bastard knows what's good for him, he'll keep away from my wife."

Caroline was trying so hard to wipe the years but every time she managed to, another would fall. Her heart was twisting in pain and she rubbed a hand over her large stomach. _Hey, honey. Mummy's been crying a lot, huh? Don't worry, I'll be fine. Your mum is very strong, honey. She's tough and she would come out of this stronger. I miss your brother._ Caroline wiped a tear. _I miss him so much._ She sobbed. _I don't know how he is, what he's going through. I love you, honey. Both you and Noah._

She didn't get to finish talking when someone entered the room. She couldn't hide her shock and disbelief upon seeing the man she hadn't seen in five years. Tyler Lockwood sure had grown, he was taller, bolder and his hair was shorter now. She felt mixed feelings about him, but anger wasn't one of them. His eyes fall on her and she watched him draw a chair back as he made himself comfortable on it, crossing his legs and arms. She eyed him, not saying anything but let him stare all he wanted. She wasn't about to lose her shit in front of him.

After three minutes of staring contest, Tyler heaved a dramatic sigh and uncrossed his arms, opening the briefcase she had failed to spot when he first got in. She almost rolled her eyes when she saw the tape recorder he pulled out, watched again as he slowly and calmly closed the briefcase, setting it aside on the floor beside him. He pushed a button on the tape and glanced up at her again.

"Shall we get started then, Mrs. Mikaelson?" He smiled at her, but God knew it wasn't a nice smile.

Caroline leaned forward and glared at him. "What are you doing here, Tyler?"

Tyler Lockwood narrowed his eyes at her words before his lips curled into a smile, cutting off the tape as he put it aside. She rose a brow at his action, her mind confused and she could feel the tension between them. There was nothing they were going to hide from each other now. The two eyed each other, the stare down between old friends and previous lovers. What had transpired between them was an old thing, which she had almost forgotten about, but which he still felt bitter about.

She quirked a brow and he leaned forward, a sly smile on his lips. "Figured they think I'd be the one to make you confess," he answered, cheerfully. Too cheerfully. His response only left Caroline to furrow her brows and glared at his smug look. "Because we have history, you might be able to confide in me."

She snorted, not impressed. "Confide in you? We had history, yes. That was a lot time ago, Tyler, and I honestly don't know what you think will happen."

"You broke my heart," he reminded her.

"You're mistaken. I didn't break your heart. We broke up."

"You did!" he hissed, his fist meeting with the table. "You broke my heart! You stomped on it, Caroline! And what did you do next? You met that arrogant man Klaus and fall in love with him. I tried to get you back, but that man out there had completely casted a spell on you! Don't you see, he isn't good for you. If he were any better husband, you wouldn't be here! I told you he wasn't good enough for you, Caroline. Isn't this proof enough?"

Her eyes were unmoving as she trained on him. "Did you….did you set me up?" Her fists clenched in realisation as she began to see everything clearly now. "Is this revenge, Tyler? For breaking up with you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Caroline. I did no such thing." He rolled his eyes and eased back on the chair. Caroline could read the lies in his eyes, the need to seek his revenge was what gave him away and his plans. This was a man who never forgot what Klaus did to him on their wedding day. He had showed up to try and stop the wedding, but Klaus had punched him and called security when Tyler wouldn't leave.

Tyler continued in a calm tone, "You killed Camille out of jealousy, or maybe hurt her. You did that." Before Caroline could open her mouth, he cut her off. "Don't say you didn't."

" _Stop lying to me_. It's just you and me here, Tyler."

He stood up. "I think we are done here." He gave her an intense look before he disappeared from her sight. He rolled his eyes when he found Klaus Mikaelson standing guard, probably waiting for him to get out. Tyler rolled his eyes. He hated the man so much, the man who took away his Caroline away from him. What did she ever saw in him? Klaus did nothing but hurt her. He wasn't the perfect man for her, he was.

Clenching his fists, he sent the man a glare and couldn't help, but stopped to say a few words to him. "You call yourself a good husband?" he asked with a deep chuckle. "Take a look at yourself, Klaus. You sent your wife to jail. What kind of a husband does that?" He never got to say another few words before Klaus jumped on him, sending punches after punches.

"DON'T—" Klaus screamed a broken scream. "TALK—" His voice vibrated with anger. "ABOUT MY WIFE!" He was a man who was hurt, a man who couldn't handle the truth being spoken to him. He was a man who knew had done wrong to his wife, to his family.

It was his scream that had Caroline getting up from the chair. She couldn't sit when she could hear the broken scream from her husband. Stefan was trying to restrain Klaus, but he couldn't overpower him when he was furious. Klaus slammed Tyler against the wall, pounding into him. He was seeing red, didn't process what everyone was saying to him. He glared at Tyler, his eyes threatening him. He looked into the eyes of the man who would gladly take away his wife from him, who wanted an opportunity to paint him as the bad guy to her.

"Niklaus." Her soft voice reached his ear and stopped his fist in mid air. It was her soft voice that cooled his anger down. He loosened his hold on Tyler's collar.

Tyler snorted as he wiped the blood away from his nose. "Couldn't handle the truth being thrown in your face, eh? What, you suddenly want to prove that you care about her? Yeah right." Klaus' eyes flashed in anger once more and he slammed him against the wall.

" _Niklaus, please._ "

Tyler strained his neck and smirked at the fury in Klaus' eyes. "You deserve a man better than him, Caroline. A man who wouldn't cheat on you and send you to jail," Tyler said, glancing at her. If he opened his mouth again, nothing would stop Klaus from beating him to death. " _I could have been that man_."

Klaus swore, ready to throw a punch that could surely end his life when Caroline held his wrist. He sharply turned to her and seeing the rage in her eyes, he dropped his hand. Tyler gathered himself before Stefan pulled him to give him an ice pack.

"Klaus, what do you think you're doing?" she sharply demanded.

"Caroline, you didn't hear what he was saying about us."

Her blue eyes narrowed. "Who gave you the right to hit someone on my behalf? Because he spoke the truth?"

Klaus' shoulders sagged and he stared at her in disbelief, probably shocked that she thought it was all true. "What," he breathed harshly. "Is that what you think? That I'm not good enough for you?"

"You haven't given me a reason to think otherwise, Niklaus." His eyes flipped up at her with hurt and he shook his head vigorously, denying whatever she thought. "Take a good look at our life. _I'm in jail_ ," she reminded him. "I'm accused for Camille's disappearance. Our life is over, Klaus. Everything started with you. Maybe you might have deserved me before, but my feelings have changed. _Look at you_ , _Look at me_. Do you think this is going to end well between us?"

Klaus turned, a hand running down his face as Caroline felt his anger, his heartbreak, _his acceptance to the truth_. "Niklaus, there won't be an us." Her voice was small but sure. He was speechless, unable to form words that could sum up his conflicting feelings. He let out a shaky breath.

* * *

Klaus walked in two hours later, nervous as hell. At this point, he didn't even know what he would expect from Caroline. She had told him they would never be together, she could have told him that million times and he would still have hope. He wasn't going to let her go. He knew he did so many mistakes. Accusing her of hurting his child, and he didn't for once believed she couldn't hurt Camille.

But even after everything she had said to him, he still had hope. He still had hope as he found her sitting on the chair, her eyes half closed. He took on a seat across from her, and she looked away as she crossed her arms. Klaus knew she didn't want to talk to him anymore. But that was okay. He would do the talking.

"Caroline," he started to say, not knowing how she was going to act to what he was about to say. "I'm sorry for not believing you earlier, but I completely believe you now."

He wasn't ready for the cold chuckle that rang through the room. "Really, now? It only took you an hour to realise I was innocent?"

"Caroline.." He moved to touch her hand, to wrap his around hers and ensure her of his mistakes that he regretted, but she pulled her hand away before he could make any contact. She wanted nothing to do with him.

"Was it too hard to be on my side?" she asked with shaky voice, holding herself right around the middle. She had desperately wanted him to be on her side. Was it too much to ask for? All she had needed was for the man she called a husband to believe her. But when your husband doesn't believe you could not harm a person, what more could they be between them? It was the ultimate betrayal for a husband who lived with his wife for years, knew her inside and out turned out not to support her. Klaus could scream that he loved her, could fight anyone for her but he could never erase his mistake.

"I was confused, Caroline."

"Confused?" She laughed. "This is the second time you have accused me of murder. Were you confused the first time too, Klaus? When you thought I got rid of our baby?"

Klaus shook his head. "I'm so sorry. You wouldn't hurt anyone. I don't know what came over me. They found Camille's clothes and phone. Someone planted those evidence. Stefan and Griffith are sure of it. They have the person on tape and—"

She scoffed, still feeling the stings of his early accusations. "And then what? I should look past this and move on? Forgive you? Smile and let you into my life?"

"Caroline, that's not fair."

"Not everything is fair!" She could barely sit still, too done with the situation to even care about how he perceived her body language at that point. "I'm tired of you accusing me. I'm tired of you leaving only to come back." It was a low rasp that took him by surprise because she sounded tired and broken. "You left me." Her bottom lip trembled as her eyes blurred with unshed tears. "And you think you have the right to tell me it's not fair? That you're sorry? ' _Caroline i'm sorry. Caroline it's not fair._ '"

"Caroline.."

"That's enough, Niklaus. I have had enough." He was silenced by her tone, cutting him at every turn. "I don't care if you believe me anymore or not. The fact that you never even once stopped to remember I'm still the same person." She shook her head, letting the sole tear that escaped run down her face.

What could he say? The more he talked, the more he pushed her away from him. He felt like she had gone far away and he could not reach her anymore. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to turn worse like this between them.

"Something tells me you won't listen to me," he said with a sigh.

"Well look at that, Niklaus, something we can both agree on."

Then he shook his head, looking at her. "But aren't you being a hypocrite? All I wanted was for you to believe I was innocent, and you are mad because I didn't believe you?" Caroline opened her mouth and closed it. Klaus knew he had her. But he decided it wasn't the right place or the right time to talk about it. He stood up, understanding that she probably wanted him to leave but she wouldn't like what he was about to say. "They are letting you go for now. I'm staying with you, Caroline. I won't leave you alone."

Her eyes finally looked up at him and she shook her head in defiance. "That is not going to happen."

"Caroline, I'm not going to let you stay alone. Besides, Tyler is back here. You think I'm going to give him an opportunity to approach you?"

"You think this is a game?" She was barely able to contain her anger. "I don't want you anywhere close to me."

"You can close your eyes anytime!" He raised his voice and she recoiled at the volume. "I'm not going to argue with you anymore. If you think someone is framing you, you need someone to watch over you. And Noah, you need me to watch over him as well. You can't do everything alone."

"I can take care of myself and Noah."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Sure you can, love."

"Don't call me that," she snapped, glaring at him.

"You can yell at me all you want, but don't make me carry you out of here. You know I will do that, Caroline."

" _Fine_."

* * *

 **TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, sorry for taking so long to update. It wasn't my intention and I'm sorry to say I won't update again until I'm done with exams. School comes first. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

 ** _Aftermath_**

 ** _Seven_**

" _Oh, stop moving so fast. You know I can't catch up with you."_

 _Klaus turned and regarded her with an amused look and his eyes shone with undying love for her. He stopped moving until she caught up with him, her left hand on her big round belly and her hair tucked behind her ear. She looked so beautiful and he couldn't believe she was his. His Caroline. His baby. Their little family. He loved what they had created, a beautiful normal life they had built for themselves._

 _She stopped in front of him, pausing to catch her breath before she glared at him. "You're horrible," she complained, and both of them knew it was a lie. "Why didn't you wait for me? I'm pregnant and it's your fault I can't walk fast."_

 _He smiled, before reaching for her hands as he pulled her closer until their bodies were touching each other. Looking at her face, Klaus tucked a stubborn strand under her ear, leaned down and kissed her on her forehead._

" _I wasn't leaving you behind, love. I was just trying to move things out of your way so you wouldn't tripped and fell," he explained. "I didn't want to lose our baby. That's the symbol of our love, Caroline."_

 _Caroline's mouth spread into a smile. "If I did fall—"_

 _Klaus clamped a hand over her mouth as he shook his head. "You wouldn't."_

 _She held the hand that was covering her mouth and put it down. "If I did fall, I know you'd be there to catch me." She smiled again and kissed his nose, drawing back to see the faint smile on his face._

" _I wouldn't let you fall." He nodded in agreement. "I would do this." And before she knew it, he had swooped her up into his arms and he heard her shriek in surprise._

" _Klaus, put me down!" she shouted in alarm. "Niklaus, I'm serious, put me down. I'll walk."_

" _Sorry, what? I can't hear you." He held her in his arms as he started to walk towards his car. She giggled when he cried out in pain after twisting his nipple. "You'd be sorry for doing that, love."_

 _Caroline chuckled and raised her eyebrows. "Oh, isn't that a lovely threat. Wait until we get home. For doing this, I'll make you beg for it, Niklaus."_

 _Klaus looked down at her with a chuckle. "Is that so? Best be on it, then. I can't wait to beg, Caroline. Where do you want me? On my knees? Under you?" She started to laugh._

"Caroline?" He called her name and she snapped back to reality from the memories that she had never wished she had just thought about. A painful, yet teasing memory it was. She swallowed painfully, wishing whatever God was out there that could make all of this a big nightmare she wanted to wake up from, and get back the love that was between them.

She moved her eyes over his worried face and she willed herself not to lash out at him. He did not deserve to care about her. Looking away, she tried to move as fast as she could and away from him. Fate unfortunately was not on her side. She tripped and a small scream escaped her. Protecting her stomach, she closed her eyes and waited to hit the ground. Warm and hard arms caught her and securely wrapped around her body. It took her three seconds before she opened her eyes and was surprised at the closeness between them.

He was holding her in his arms, his face was close to hers and his blue eyes clashed with her blue. Electricity sizzled through her. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her throat got dry and she started to feel a little bit sweaty. They stayed in that position for as long as she could like. Caroline pulled her bottom lip into her mouth without even realising what she was doing— because honest to God when he was this close to her, she could barely remember to function. Her actions only drew his eyes to her lips before they were back up into her blue ones. He didn't need to know how uneasy he made her, how his arms around her made her heart fluttered in a way she couldn't describe. Or how she was drawn to his eyes, like she always had been. But how could she let him know that after repeatedly being let down by him?

"I told you," he whispered to her in a low tone. "As long as I'm with you, I will catch you before you fall." His words only increased the beating of her heart. Between the feeling of his arms around her and the way he was staring at her as if she was a precious gem, Caroline was bound to succumb to his desires.

"That promise," she replied just as low before she pushed him back, making him release her. She didn't dare think about the loss of warm she felt. "was made by two completely different people. Those people loved and trusted each other."

She didn't wait for him to try and manipulate her feelings when she was at her most vulnerable. Instead, she approached his car by herself without needing his help. Her eyes almost fell closed, pushing herself to shut down whatever that was building inside her. He glanced at her, seeing her knitted brows and tight lips, it hurt him to realise she was trying so hard to resist him, not to feel comfortable around him and being together.

Klaus opened the door for her, and he would have helped her get in the car, had she not been fast enough to do so and slam the door in his face. He cracked a broken smile, shaking his head before going over to get in the driver's seat. He didn't know how he should feel about finding her eyes closed as she drifted off to sleep. For a fact, he knew she wasn't really asleep from the way she was clutching her jacket. She was just trying to avoid looking at him or talking to him. To both their own reliefs, he didn't say anything. Peace. At least, both of them were getting some peace and quiet in each other's presence and that was all they could hope for. At this point, peace was the hardest thing to attain besides happiness.

Pulling the car to a stop at their house, he glanced to her side to let her know they had arrived, but this time around, she was really asleep. Klaus didn't know what to do. He didn't want to wake her up because she needed the sleep, and he also didn't think she would like it if she woke up in his arms. She might have forgiven it earlier, she would not stay quiet if he did it again. As he struggled with his inner battle, he contemplated driving around the neighbourhood until she had woken up by herself, and the other selfish part of him leaned towards her seat. He stared at her peaceful face. He wished he could take away all the worries he had given her and give back get happiness.

Unbeknownst to him, his trembling finger was running over her cheek. Trembling because she could wake up any second and prevent him from touching her. When she was sleeping like this, he could do so much more. Only in her sleep, could he get what he wanted. Caroline stirred at his touch and his only thought was that he was done for. He couldn't move his fingers away from her. But instead of proving his fears, Caroline stayed asleep, leaning into his touch until he got bolder and cupped her face.

 _Caroline…_

He stayed like that for twenty minutes without taking his eyes or his hand away from her face. Klaus didn't care that it was the most uncomfortable position his body was in if he got to touch her for a few minutes. When she began stirring, he moved his hand away and got out of the car to open her door. Their eyes met. Neither said anything and neither moved. It was clear what they both wanted and what was between them, but nothing could happen again because two things stood in their way; his actions and their words, broken promises and their present.

Klaus moved aside to let her get down, and his mind conjured up a broken thought—extending a hand to her and her accepting. He quickly shoved that thought away and watched her walked up the path slowly, taking her time so as to not slip and fall. He followed behind her, watching her steps closely. They were both standing in an awkward silence before she retreated to the stairway, leaving him behind to stand around the living room—though familiar to him, now seemed awkward and uncomfortable. He took another few steps, watching her place a hand on the rail and walked up the steps. She wasn't looking for assistance. He was dying to give one. It was an spoken word and she was glad to know he was suffering just as she was. If he couldn't stand beside her, she didn't need him.

"I'm going to go pick up Noah," he spoke before the courage he had gathered up disappeared on him and find himself unable to say anything. He realised how terrified of her words or actions he was. It was as if she had wrapped her hand around his heart, and made him feel unable to do or say anything without her permission.

She didn't turn around and she didn't stop walking either, but she threw in a jab, "Whatever."

 _Whatever._ Who was he to complain?

He was running. Away from the house that brought him memories. Memories that popped up whenever he looked over at any corner and every turn . Both of them had left a good memory around the house and it was too much for him. He was asking himself if it was the memories that scared him, or the fact that he didn't think he could ever escape it. Was it the fact that the woman who hated him now was the woman he thought was the only one he could ever spend the rest of his life with, the only woman whose emptiness and cold attitude towards him left him with a void that was unable to be filled. He was madly in love with her and he wasn't stupid enough to think her feelings for him would ever diminished. Yes, they were both hurt. Yes, he betrayed her. Yes, they were both angry. But they loved each other more than they hurt each other. She loved him more than the feeling of pain of his betrayal. And they loved each other more than the anger that was brewing inside them and he knew, Caroline Mikaelson loved him more than she hated him. Love was hard to come by, and when it did, especially one as special as theirs was forever. They had a bond so strong not even them could be able to break it. They were forever, Klaus and Caroline.

" _Daddy, do you love mummy?" Noah asked one day, as they both sat with their legs crossed, matched pyjamas and their hairs unkempt. There was an uncanny resemblance to the Mikaelson boys. Noah was colouring and Klaus was helping him with it. It was just another normal day in their lives._

" _Of course, Noah. Your mother is my favourite girl in the entire world," he replied, as they both shared a smile._

" _I thought it was Auntie Rebekah. She say that all the time."_

 _Klaus snorted, picking up the red colour that would suit the shirt of the rabbit. "Your auntie would like to think so. But why do you ask?"_

 _Noah stopped colouring and gave his whole attention to his father. He bit his lower lip, a trait he had gotten from Caroline when they were both unsure and concerned about something. Klaus ruffled his son's hair to try and ease his mind a little bit._

" _What troubles you?"_

" _My friend said you and mummy will stop loving each other. Is it true?" He stared at Klaus, his bottom lip trembling_.

" _Why would your friend say that?"_

" _Because his mummy and daddy love each other and they don't like each other now. They always fight. His daddy doesn't live with his mummy anymore." The little boy's eyes widened in fear. "Are you going to leave too, daddy?"_

 _Klaus didn't know what to say or how to explain it to his four year old son. But the more he kept quiet, the more Noah might think his fears might come true. "Listen buddy," he said with a sigh. "when people love each other, they might encounter problems once in awhile. It doesn't mean they stop loving each other. Your mummy and I won't get separated, I promise you. We love each other very much." He smiled and ruffled his son's hair again. "How could I leave you and the baby alone?"_

" _So you love mummy and you won't leave us?"_

" _Yes."_

 _Noah nodded. "I believe you, daddy." And that had been the end of the conversation._

It was the noises that had woken her up from her slumper. She had barely slept for three hours and she couldn't help but feel it was necessary for her to wake up at the time. Her room was dark, the curtains were closed and she half expected to find Klaus watching over her, but it was empty. The faint noises that had been the reason she was awake caught her ear. She laid there for a few seconds to gather up her strength again, though the sleep helped took away the exhaustion she had felt earlier.

Was it Noah that was making a lot of noise? She was excited to see her son again. She wanted to make sure that he was okay, that he wasn't traumatised about everything that was happening. She wanted her little boy close to her. She realised that it was always him suffering from his parents lack of civility towards one another.

Carefully sliding her bare legs down, Caroline stood up and braced her hands against the wall to support her as she guided herself towards the door. She opened the door and the voices grew louder, enough for her to know whose voices she was hearing. They were coming from downstairs so she walked in that direction.

There was a tension in the air, something to be weary of, something she didn't need to be caught between. And when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she knew why.

"I expected this foolishness from anyone but you, Niklaus. In all of our family history, no one has ever embarrassed and humiliated our family like you did. You put your wife in jail, your pregnant wife. Do you have any idea how cruel that is? Do you have any idea what everyone is saying about us?"

"Obviously he doesn't care, Elijah, or else he wouldn't have done what he did."

"You both need to listen," she heard Klaus say as he tried to hide his frustration.

Elijah cut him off with a snap, "We're done listening to you. Now you're going to listen to us. You're not to do anything that will hurt Caroline or jeopardise your marriage again. You're going to fix your marriage, are we clear? "

"The bloody hell you talking about? Are we just going to forget about everything he did and let him off so easily? He doesn't deserve Caroline if you ask me."

"Silence, Rebekah," Elijah said. "We're here to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Niklaus, I'm ashamed to call you my brother. I thought you knew how much valuable Caroline is. She is the mother of your child. I was shocked to learn that she had been in jail. And for what? Your foolish mistakes? What did you gain by it? Tell me, what was lacking in your marriage?"

Rebekah scoffed. "He isn't going to say anything. Listen to me, Nik, if something happens to Caroline or the baby—"

"What on earth do you think is going to happen, Rebekah?" Klaus shouted, furious.

"Oh, I don't know! She's pregnant and if she's being put in too much stress, she might lose the baby!"

"That's not going to happen!"

"God help you if it does, Nik. You're so sure you won't fuck her over again. Now is the right time to tell us where Camille is. While everyone is pointing their finger on Caroline, they should point their finger on you."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying maybe you helped Camille disappear. Maybe it was your plan all along! To hide her so you could finish arranging for a way to get out of here."

"For God's sake I'm not going to sit here and let you hurl accusations at me!"

Rebekah raised her voice to match her brother's. "Oh, so it bothers you, but think of how Caroline felt when her despicable husband accused her of—"

"Rebekah!"

"Enough!" Elijah silenced them both. "This is neither the time nor place. Niklaus, Noah is going to continue staying with Rebekah until everything is resolved between you and Caroline. I do not want the boy to have to have to go through what he did again. I'm sure Caroline won't object to it and neither would you. You're both his parents, so you can come anytime and see him—"

"I'm not going to let him in my home."

"Rebekah, do not interrupt me." Caroline imagined the sharp look he must have given the blonde woman. "Niklaus, do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Good. And in the meantime, stay clear of the rest of our family. They're furious at you right now and they won't be as understanding as me."

"Are you bloody serious, Elijah?" Klaus asked in disbelief. "You won't let Noah come back home and now you're telling me I don't get to see my family?"

Rebekah snorted. "Seeing them is the least bit of your worries."

"One more word out of your mouth, Rebekah—"

"You will what?" she challenged. "Nothing you do is going to shock me anymore."

Caroline thought she had heard enough. She quietly turned back to her room, feeling a sense of happiness. Her fear had always been Klaus' family were going to take his side and she would all be left alone. She was glad they still cared about her. She was so sure now that they'd always be family whether she stayed married to Klaus or not.

Other part of her wasn't happy at the way things were turning out to be. Though Klaus was the one who dug his own grave, she wasn't happy that his family didn't want to see him. It upset her to hear Rebekah, the same woman who loved her brother so much more than the rest could say what she said to him. She raised her voice when she never did before. That was something Caroline wanted to avoid happening. She had always thought if Klaus and her ever did have a spat, she would make sure his family didn't stay mad at him.

The house was quiet and he was left with just his thoughts to help him through the day. It wasn't helping. It was doing the opposite. It was hurting him, it was making him angry. There were so many things he could have done to change the course of events that led to this. He stood in front of Caroline's door for a few minutes, trying to gather up the courage to knock on the door. He was losing his courage day after day. Everything he did that concerned Caroline always made him feel scared, always contemplating whether he should do it or not. He was questioning everything relating to her. He was just being careful. He didn't want to say anything wrong or do anything wrong.

He needed to face his fears and go into her room. It was his room once. He had slept there for years. It had been his safest room in the house, but now it was the room he was scared to enter. If he was ever going to give her the sandwich he made, he needed to go in. Caroline hadn't eaten since they got back to the house and she had been asleep for hours. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted to right his wrong. Without waiting for another thought to come into his mind and make him reconsider going in, he lifted his hand and knock on the door.

There wasn't a response. Caroline was still sleeping. His hand moved towards the door knob when his phone rang. He didn't check the ID before he answered the call, as he started to walk away from her room so he didn't have to disturb her sleep.

"Yeah?" he said.

"We found her. She's alive."

"Found her? Found who?" he asked in a whisper, even though he knew who was found. He wanted to hear it. Klaus was trying so hard not to breathe as he clutched his phone tightly in his hand.

"Camille. We found Camille. She's at the hospital unconscious. We are waiting for her to wake up and get the details from her. Hello? Klaus, are you listening?"

He wasn't listening. The phone had dropped from his grasp and fell to the floor. His hand ran through his hair and raked over his face. Camille was found. Camille was alive. Camille was found. Camille was found. Alive. Camille was found and he knew Caroline didn't do anything. Repeating it in his head did nothing but gave him more misery and kill his will to walk.

Camille was found. Why wasn't he happy? He should be glad Caroline wasn't going to be accused of murder anymore. He should be feeling ecstatic about it. It was fear. Fear of answers. Fear of what he was going to find out. Getting answers now didn't seem something he was interested in. What if something did happen that night? What if he had just forgotten about it?

She heard his knock. She heard it loud and clear but decided to ignore it. She heard when his phone had rung. She was out of the bed to listen to his call. It was wrong, Caroline knew, but she wanted to know if Rebekah was right about him knowing Camille's whereabouts, and another reason was that she wanted to clear the doubts she had about it. Can you blame her? She still loved him. She wanted to forgive him so desperately that if he lied to her again, she would believe him.

Carolin peeked her head outside before she quietly closed the door. Walking downstairs, she found him standing there with his posture rigid and his hand clutching his phone like his life depended on it.

"Found her? Found who?" he asked.

Her brows rose in confusion. Who was found and why did Klaus look shocked and scared? She wanted to do the right thing. And the right thing was if she turned back and go back to her room, and pretend as if she hadn't heard anything. But it was the tug on her heart that made her walk forward, the strings that was dangling around it could not go and leave him at the state he was in. It looked like the tables were turned. She was the one to go to him.

She stopped a few feet away from him and he turned his head slightly, aware of her presence. He finally turned to face her, letting her see the storm that was building inside of him. Klaus didn't need to tell her. He didn't need to. She was able to put two and two together. The shock of it nearly made her stumble and a silent gasp escaped from her lips. He knew she never had anything to do with it. It was clear like a daylight in his eyes, but another thing was clear and well.

Camille was found. He wasn't happy. His reaction said more about him than any of his words he had spoken before. Caroline didn't know how to feel about this. She was glad the woman wasn't dead, but she wasn't also glad she resurfaced. That made her a terrible person, but this was the woman who broke her marriage. The woman who might or might not have slept with her husband.

"W-where?" she choked the word out.

"I don't know," he replied in a hushed tone. "She's alive. She's unconscious, but they have taken her to the hospital." There was more he wanted to say. There was nothing she wanted to say. His voice was soft and the emotion was clear in his voice. "I don't feel relieved."

They both were scared of the same thing. Scared of the answers they would find from her. The answers that could either destroy them, or help mend a broken family. The answers that could either take all the pain away, or leave them with a mark. The answers that could leave their children with two home, and the husband and wife in despair.

"I need to see her," she spoke up.

Klaus eyes widened. "What?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes, I need to see her now. Take me to her, Klaus. I have to know." _I have to know if you slept with her. I have to know if there was something I did that made you cheat on me. I have to know if I can still call myself your wife._

" _No."_

"No? Why can't I see her, Niklaus?"

"Are you out of your mind?" he asked, as his heart started to pound. "You need rest. You need to eat. It's nine o'clock at night and Camille is unconscious. You won't be able to talk to her."

"If you don't want to take me, it's fine." Caroline walked past him to head to the door, but he pulled her back in front of him.

His eyes were red. From anger? From fright? Neither knew. "Don't be stupid, Caroline. You can talk to her when she gets better. You can ask what you want to ask."

"Oh, you mean when you're done making up lies for her to say? I don't think so, Niklaus. Get out of my way right now," she said angrily.

Klaus couldn't even spare a second to get mad and hurt by her words. He put a hand on her shoulders and looked down to stare into her eyes. "I can't let you go, Caroline." He needed her to understand that she was pregnant and she was due anytime. He didn't want something to happen to her or the baby. "You need to rest. I promise I'll take you first thing in the morning. Please, trust me."

She almost laughed. Trust. That was lost a while back. "Fine," she bit out in an unconvincing defeated tone. When he dropped his hands from her shoulders, she turned and headed back to her room.

Caroline didn't sleep a wink. For a few hours she stayed awake and listened to noises outside. When the clock struck twelve and when she could no longer hear any noises, she grabbed her jacket, scarf and keys. It was easy leaving the house without making a lot of noise, without waking him. She got inside the car and started the engine, leaving out of their driveway. She didn't know what the hell she was doing, but she couldn't sleep if she didn't see Camille.

Her room was on the fifth floor, room number twenty to be exact. Caroline stood outside Camille's door for a few seconds before she walked in. Her mind was racing. She realised that she really didn't want to be there, didn't want to see Camille but it was too late now. The woman was on the bed. The only sound in the room was the beeping of the machine. There was an oxygen mask on her face and IVs that were attached to her. Bruises. There were lots of them on her face, on her arms. She looked pale. What had happened to her? Who could do this to her? She moved closer to the bed. She felt bad for Camille. She could only imagined the hell she had went through.

Her hands went to clutch he'd heart. This woman slept with her husband. This woman had touched what was hers, had kissed him the way Caroline always did. This woman knew everything about her husband's body. This woman knew his weak parts. Rage blinded her, but Caroline didn't dare make a mistake. Hate boiled inside her. She was so engrossed in staring at her that she didn't hear the sound of the door opening, didn't hear the footsteps of someone coming in until it was too late. She never got to scream or to panic before someone covered a hand over her mouth and dragged her away from the bed. Dragging her out of the room.

* * *

 **TBC**


End file.
